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Green Sports

Our discussion about green sports is in no way meant to detour you from the exercise  your body needs.  This is extremely important and should be a part of your daily routine.  Sports can not only be fun, they are a great way to socialize and be a part of something.  Spending an afternoon playing ball with your friends is a lot better use of your time, and a lot greener, than spending the same amount of time in a bar.

Over three hundred and fifty million pairs of athletic shoes are sold every year, in just the U.S..  The worlds golf courses use the same amount of water each day as is required to keep the entire population of the world hydrated.  Many of the accessories needed to play sports contain PVC, bats, helmets, gloves, balls and pads to name a few.  PVC is in the plastic used to manufacturer these items and is one of the worst causes of pollution in our landfills.

We will look at some different aspects of sports and hopefully point you towards enjoying them in a slightly different way, a green sports way.

• Leasing : Consider leasing or renting your sports equipment if you are just starting out.  All to often you start a new sport with the best intentions and then just loose interest.  I'm sure many of us have had in their garage at one time or another things like golf clubs, exercise bikes, treadmills, water skis and ect.  Sports equipment that has not been used in years.   Equipment like skis, that get used seasonally, are a good candidates for renting also.  Why have a pair of snow skis you use one weekend every couple of years?  Larger types of equipment like boats, jet skis and snowmobiles can be rented also.  I was once a member of a club where once a month we could take out a boat or a dune buggy or something fun, without having to own it.  Another green option for sports equipment is to find what you need used.  What's the point in buying new tennis rackets just to find out you don't like playing the sport.


• Shoes and Boots : Many times these items can be rented also.  I rent ski boots and bowling shoes on occasion.  When you need to buy these items look for recycled rubber in the soles.  Make sure they fit before you buy them and then wear them out, or pass them on to someone who will.


• Bags : If just one percent of America's sports enthusiasts were to buy bags made from recycled materials more than one hundred and eighty thousand pounds of plastic could be eliminated from our landfills.


• Balls : It is possible to buy pressure-less tennis balls.  I have no idea how well they work but they would be worth giving a try.  They will out last traditional balls and the packaging is a lot greener.


• Gloves and Mitts : Avoid PVC plastic and vinyl when choosing your next glove.


• Bats : Choose wood or bamboo if you can.  Aluminum is the most energy intensive of all materials manufactured in the U.S.



• Golf Clubs : The sport of golf looses about as many players each year as it attracts.  This is definitely a sport where I would recommend starting with rented equipment and then moving on to used stuff.  Another green sports option is to buy only a half set of irons.  If you like the sport and plan to continue the second half can be added later.  If you want to go even greener into the sport of golf spend time looking into the different courses you plan to play at.  Try finding the green golf courses that cater to green golfers like you.  Look for conservation minded courses committed to water conservation, wildlife protection, reduced use of harmful chemicals and preserving natural landscapes.


• Surfboards : They even make a green surfboard.  Look for one made with polystyrene foam a covered with epoxy resin, recycled of course.  This is better than ones covered with polyester and fiberglass.  The epoxy boards are light and will out last the others by many years.


• Tennis Rackets : If you can find used ones that's a good choice.  If you are buying new then look for ones with natural strings.  This is a better option than the ones with nonrenewable fibers like nylon and polyester.


• Water Bottles : We talk a lot about water bottles and the message is always the same.  Where ever you go, take your water with you and drink out of reusable containers.


• Yoga Mats :  Go green the next time you buy a yoga mat and get one made from plant-based materials like jute, cotton or natural rubber.  Avoid petroleum based plastics and other synthetics.  Forty six million pounds of PVC plastic would be kept out of the landfills if all the mats sold next year were non-plastic.


• Lighting : If you play sports that involve scheduling evening games, and if you have any say in the matter, try playing some of those games during the day.  One field can use as much energy in a year as your home would in sixty three years.  Choosing daytime tennis is a preferred option over having to use the night lights.   Playing sports like basketball outdoors, instead of indoors, saves energy also.  And speaking of basketball, did you know there are about a hundred or so basketball courts made out of recycled athletic shoe soles?  Maybe there will be one near you soon.


• Cycling : Make an effort to recycle all of your tires and tubes.  The uses for this type of rubber increases every day.  Be aware of the environmental damage caused by PVC plastics and the high energy costs of producing aluminum.  You can not always avoid these products but you can at least be conscious of them.


• Paths : When hiking, mountain biking, skiing, horse back riding and many other sports where trails and paths are used, stay on them.  Protect our natural landscapes and natural habitats by staying on designated paths, trails and roads.  Where ever you go, pack out what you bring in.


• Exercise Equipment : If you are buying equipment for your home consider used.  This stuff has a habit of being unused in a short period of time.  Buy new equipment only after you know this has become a part of your life for good.  Consider also, either at home or in the gym, using non electrical equipment.  Choose a stationary bike over a treadmill.  That just makes green sense.


• Sauna : Saunas consume large amounts of energy, be green and turn them off when not in use.  Even if the timer is due to go off in a minute or two, shut it off when you leave.


• Swimming : Swimming is an excellent form of exercise.  Pools are also an expensive use of energy.  If you own a pool consider running your pump on 100% solar power.  It is easy to do by setting up a dedicated solar array just for the pool.  Solar heaters and solar covers can combine to heat the pool.  Avoid Chlorine by using a solar ionizing unit or a salt treatment.  Pools without chlorine are better for your skin, eyes, hair and lungs.  

These are just a few of the many green sports ideas we should all be adopting into our lifestyles.  Read all of our green living tips pages for many more ways to improve the quality or your lives and the lives of those around you.

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