CLIMATE change is threatening the future of football, and kit is part of the problem. Essex clubs can support the ‘Green Football’s Great Save’ campaign by digging out the old kit they might have thrown away and donating, selling or reusing it.

An estimated 100,000 tonnes of sportswear ends up in UK landfills every year – the equivalent of around 500 million football shirts, or 951 shirts per minute. Green Football unleashes the passion of the football community to tackle climate change and protect nature, uniting fans, clubs, players, pundits, broadcasters, grassroots teams and schools.

This year fans, clubs and leagues across the UK are coming together to save kit from landfill by donating, selling or reusing it instead of throwing it away. By taking part, clubs and leagues will be saving money and supporting people in their community who otherwise might not have the kit to be able to play, whilst also helping to protect the world.

The future of football is affected by climate change – 120,000 games are likely to be called off this year because of flooding alone. Keeping a team’s kit in play for just nine more months can reduce its carbon, water and waste footprint by up to 30%.

Green Football’s Great Save is co-founded by Sky Sports, TNT Sports, the Football Supporters Association, Pledgeball, Count Us In and exceptional. It is backed by the FA, EFL, WPLL, SPFL, SWFL, the PFA in the UK and Australia, and the PGMOL.

Go to www.greenfootball.org to say you’ve made the ‘Great Save’ and you’ll be entered into a draw to win prizes, including twelve months of free Sky Sports and a signed 2023/24 Lionesses shirt. There’s also a club and league Green Football’s Great Save toolkit at www.essexfa.com, and you can interact with the Essex County FA on social media.