Celebrating A Sustainable Cardiff Half!
Just a few weeks on from the thrills of the Cardiff Half Marathon in March, we’re thrilled to be able to reflect on some of the sustainability successes achieved at the biggest mass participation event in Wales.
With big thanks to sustainability partners Brecon Carreg and High5, we were able to achieve a fantastic recycling rate of 95% across the event. The effort to become sustainable does not end here, and we will continue our efforts into October and beyond.
Using data from previous years, we were also able to reduce the amount of Brecon Carreg bottles at the event and offered a trial paper cup station on the route, made from Aqueous Coating, meaning they were fully compostable and recyclable.
Thanks to the efforts of High5, Terracycle recycling bins were put in place for energy gel wrappers, helping us to the 95% rate achieved this year.
There’s more too! For the first time at the Cardiff Half Marathon, an electric car from Cardiff Audi lead the runners 13.1 miles across the city, adding to the fleet of electric cars used at all Run 4 Wales events across the country.
You, the runners, let us know that 95% of you noticed opportunities to recycle on the course. 85% of you thought there was ample opportunity to recycle in the Event Village and Finish Line, with a huge 86% noting the importance of protecting the environment at races they take part in.
Eleri Morgan, Brand Manager at Brecon Carreg Water said: It’s fantastic to see such high recycling rates at the Cardiff Half Marathon once again. We work closely with the Run 4 Wales team every year to ensure that runners and spectators are presented with ample opportunities to recycle and have also introduced interactive activities at the event to ensure that our bottles find their way to a recycle bin. Our mermaids were a big hit at this year’s event and will be attending more races throughout the summer to make sure that everyone is on top of their recycling game!
Of course we acknowledge the importance of improving these figures with the assistance of Brecon Carreg, High5 and more Sustainability Partners to come, we’re confident we can do so starting from October.
Sustainability is a huge priority for the Cardiff Half Marathon moving forward, and we will continue to work with and welcome Sustainability Action Group partners as we strive for a more environmentally friendly event.
