Cricket: white paper on sustainability, circularity and social equity in cricket published

FARNHAM, U.K. - Oct. 19, 2023 - PRLog -- Sustainability and social equity in cricket are the focus of a white paper published today by The Centre for Sustainable Design (CfSD)  at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), Farnham, Surrey. The research was carried out by CfSD - and Centre for Natural Material Innovation at University of Cambridge - for the Circular Cricket Gear Project, and was funded by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) National Interdisciplinary Circular Research (NICER) CE-HUB from September 2022 to August 2023.

The paper points the way to how cricket gear can be designed, manufactured to be more circular and how reuse, repair and refurbishment can be facilitated.

"Findings, Learning and Implications for Policymakers and Other Stakeholders related to Sustainability and Cricket Gear" addresses sustainability, circular economy and social equity in the cricket gear industry, and includes input by leading experts in the field of sustainable design, material sciences and stakeholders from the cricket gear industry.

World's second largest sport, but…

Says Professor Martin Charter, Director, CfSD, a previous club cricketer and ex "Spin for England" finalist in the  1970s, adds, "The cricket gear industry is wasteful in many aspects, using high carbon materials and textiles that are sourced from non-renewable resources, some involving highly polluting methods of manufacture, and with few guidelines on sustainability including re-use."

Highlights:

Sustainability Awareness Gap.

Circular Opportunities.

Carbon Footprint.

Access and Affordability. A report by The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) recently highlighted that the cost of cricket gear hinders opportunities in accessing the sport, particularly for disadvantage communities and state-funded schools. Stakeholders must address these barriers to increase participation.

Repair and Refurbishment. Establishing a network for repairing and refurbishing cricket gear in England and Wales should be explored to extend the life of equipment.

Standards and Regulations.

In summary,  the white paper identifies and offers recommendations for key stakeholders, including cricket gear brands, manufacturers, governing bodies, and organisations involved in promoting the sport in, for example, state schools.

The white paper is at https://cfsd.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/White-Paper-August-2023.pdf
About CfSD's research into sustainability and cricket gear https://cfsd.org.uk/projects/cricket/research/