There is a common denominator in the way that sport and recreational activities impact on the environment, often in a negative way; you often see the aftermath of litter that is left behind at games and events. Litter like plastic bottles, wrappers, and even games tickets.

Sport2Clean engages with young Australians in a positive environmental activity, an activity that connects students directly with the ocean. We do this currently through the sports of stand up paddle boarding and surfing, using Sport2Clean for this approach.

Participants get the opportunity to experience their surroundings in the natural environment from their surfboard or stand up paddle boards. They appreciate the role the ocean plays, not only by giving us our playground, but also by providing life for the animals that inhabit it.

After this ocean experience we perform an onshore education session and participation in a beach clean-up. This positive engagement with the ocean opens doors in educating participants about the global concerns facing the ocean and marine life today. By using sport we are creating an action and awareness surrounding single use plastic waste and litter in general. Linking this back to our local sporting grounds and stadiums as litter is often left on the ground after everyone has gone home.

Students leave the program realising sport, through Sport2Clean can play a vital role in future awareness in helping reduce litter and single use plastics items, that potentially end up washing down the drain and out into our oceans. We are calling this approach from the field to the ocean, a program that provides young people with a better understanding and context about what happens if we just drop the litter at sports fields, and stadiums.

This is a great collaboration for a sports legacy by being able to offer awareness through our brand, potentially reaching millions of people globally by encouraging every code of sport to adopt an element of Sport2Clean in their approach, educating young people about the importance of looking after what we have all come to enjoy, and ultimately helping reduce marine debris going into our oceans where we work and play.