Mermaids & Ploggers Set To Make Cardiff Half More Sustainable
The team behind the Wizz Air Cardiff Half Marathon and water partner Brecon Carreg have been working together on efforts to improve the sustainability of the event.
Run 4 Wales today shared plans for the event on 2 October, devised in collaboration with Official Partner Brecon Carreg, who have recruited a team of ploggers and mermaids!
The ploggers will jog at the back of the race, collecting and recycling litter as they go. Plogging is the little-known Swedish sport which has helped clean up the streets of Stockholm. The term ‘plogging’ is a mixture of the Swedish word ‘plocka upp’ which means ‘to pick up’ and jogga which means ‘to jog’.
Meanwhile, a group of Brecon Carreg mermaids will help ensure that every bottle of Brecon Carreg water distributed at the finish line is recycled.
Eleri Morgan from Brecon Carreg said:
“We want to do everything we can to maximise awareness of the importance of recycling at the event. Thanks to Brecon Carreg we’re able to provide bottles that are 100% recyclable, made from 51% recycled plastic. But we have set ourselves the target of using 100% recycled plastic by 2025.”
Matt Newman, Chief Executive of Run 4 Wales, said:
“It’s important that our events are sustainable which is why we set up a Sustainability Action Group and are investing so that environmental policy can be taken forward. The Cardiff Half Marathon already has a 90%+ recycling rate and we would of course love to see that improve further.”
Other moves by Run4 Wales to be more sustainable include the removal of goodie bags and a reduction in the use of PVC and plastic:
“Our medals are now made of recycled zinc,” adds Newman. “And we have also given runners the options to not collect a finish line T-shirt and its value would be donated to a climate action fund which supports a number of local environmental initiatives across Wales and beyond such as international tree planting initiatives, community projects that are tackling climate change, renewable energy start-ups as well as campaigns against pollution in our oceans and natural habitats.”
Run 4 Wales has also moved away from diesel-generated energy in favour of lower carbon mains power and hydrotreated vegetable oil as its primary source of power.
“We are also encouraging sustainable transport by providing a free bike park,” says Newman.
Headline sponsor Wizz Air, which has one of the youngest aircraft fleets in Europe and one of the lowest C02 emissions in the world of aviation is already ahead of the industry on sustainability and has been keen to support sustainability initiatives at the Cardiff Half.
They’ll be throwing their support behind the Brecon Carreg Ploggers, rewarding those giving up their time to help recycle at the race with a number of exclusive prizes and helping to facilitate an enhanced experience on event day.
As well as putting on a VIP pre-race breakfast for the plogging team, they’ll gift them with Wizz Air merchandise, a £15 voucher for a Wizz Air flight and host an official walk on at the start of the race – to help showcase the initiative to everybody taking part in the race.
