Recyclables instead of waste
To projectEnvironment
Professional football does have a big effect on the environment. Bayer 04 are looking for innovative solutions that are better for the environment and will be implemented. The club will never give up trying to improve. The BayArena is a living room is a relatively old city stadium that has been very influenced by the efficient optimisation of the use of resources. Bayer 04 as in the BayArena as a stadium very close to the city that has a unique characteristic as well as the strong echo logical home benefits that every fan can get to matches easily with the local ÖPNV transport system or by bike. The BayArena will continue to be sensibly and efficiently upgraded within the framework of the infrastructure possibilities.
Topics
Resources
In the last six years, Bayer 04 Leverkusen have been able to reduce overall energy consumption by more than 30% through targeted technical improvements. These relate to the BayArena as well as the other club properties.
Bayer 04 does however require several resources such as water, electricity, gas and district heating to ensure the smooth running of matchday's in according with the regulations of the Association.
Work is currently ongoing to find solutions to be even more sparing with resources.
An overview of the current and key measures in and around the BayArena follows:
Lighting
Bayer 04 has a partner for modern and energy-saving lighting in the company Ledvance. The exchange of lighting at the BayArena and many other buildings on the site to energy-saving LED lighting has had a positive effect on energy use. In addition, this also significantly extends the lifetime of many systems and devices.
Provided there are no events at the BayArena, the external area at the BayArena only lights up footpaths in the evening and is completely switched off at midnight. Only as required and for reasons of safety, such as darkness in winter, the lighting is switched on again to ensure road safety from six in the morning. The two big signs at the BayArena including the Bayer Cross on the roof of the stadium will be completely switched off in future until further notice.
Heating energy
Undersoil heating of the pitches in and around the BayArena is an absolute necessity for uninterrupted training and matches throughout the year (and also prescribed by the DFL). In order to use energy as efficiently as possible, the undersoil heating at Bayer 04 is linked to a weather station tracking current weather forecasts. That helps to save over two thirds of heating energy. Lava stone chippings under the turf at the stadium also saves energy.
Power consumption
Bayer 04 has been using certified green energy since 2015. Consumption is also continually analysed and optimised making use of possible potential savings.
Solar panels
The roofs of garages and storage areas around the BayArena are equipped with state-of-the-art solar panels to ensure the storage of energy. This is used for example for charging and operating the electric mowers used by the grounds staff. Solar panels are not currently permitted on the roof of the BayArena for structural reasons.
Water consumption
In addition to undersoil heating, the efficient watering of the pitches is a crucial factor in ensuring the required playing and training conditions. In this area, Bayer 04 relies on a sophisticated and rational use of resources by watering all pitches exclusively with water from wells on site rather than using precious drinking water.
Bayer 04 staff are provided with water to drink from an in-house system to reduce the use (and transport) of plastic bottles.
Other measures include waterless urinals as well as tap aerators and the use of organic fertilisers.
Mobility
Fan mobility on matchdays is the biggest emissions factor for professional football clubs. Bayer 04 uses the benefit of its location and is looking for traditionally more climate friendly mobility – both on matchdays and beyond:
Use of the ÖPNV travel network is included and that means the purchase of a match ticket for a game at the BayArena gives home and away fans the opportunity to travel directly to the stadium on matchdays free of charge travelling across the VRS and VRR areas and back too, with shuttle and local buses taking fans direct to the stadium. Two stations (Leverkusen Mitte and Manfortt) with connections to regional transport are within walking distance of the stadium. In addition there are facilities for 2,000 bicycles to be parked in and around the arena. Bayer 04 are offering additional incentives for people to use bicycles.
Since 2021, four modern charging stations for electric cars have been installed and in operation in front of the south entrance to the stadium, and more have recently been installed at other Bayer 04 properties. Employees also benefit from bicycle leasing and a discounted Germany ticket as a job ticket.
Further measures will follow. For example, Bayer 04 is currently conducting a mobility analysis in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University with the aim of developing measures to make fan travel on match days more climate-friendly. The travel data for business trips by the Werkself and employees is also being analyzed and evaluated with regard to possible optimizations.
Nutrition
Healthy food and top level sport are closely connected. The food sector is however also a significant factor in terms of climate calculations. In association with the Bayer Sports Family, Bayer 04 have addressed the issue of nutrition as an important sustainability matter.
Bayer 04 back conscious nutrition for its men and women players. This begins with the younger players in the form of comprehensive nutrition advice and goes through to the senior team were nutrition fits the needs of the athlete. Also in the direction of non-football playing members of staff, Bayer 04 are giving food offers in different formats. With all that, the use of reusable containers avoids the need for waste.
When it comes to nutrition, stadium catering has the biggest impact on Bayer 04's carbon footprint. For this reason, Bayer's catering department has developed a sustainable food concept that includes food selection and the avoidance of food waste. Since the 2023/24 season, for example, a veggie corner has expanded the catering offer in the public area, while a composting machine sustainably recycles food waste.
The club's commitment is rounded off by awareness-raising measures on the topic of nutrition, whether as part of the Bayer 04 Learning Curve workshops, as part of the Football Fans in Training program, at the Diabetes Camps or as part of targeted campaigns in the Bayer Sports Family network.
Rubbish
Bayer 04 views the issue of waste management as a whole. For this purpose, the club set itself the target in 2017 of optimising the waste situation, for example with the separation and minimisation of waste. At the stadium the installation of bigger bins and the introduction of reusable deposit beakers are significant measures working against pollution in the vicinity of the stadium and also led to a considerable reduction in waste on matchdays.
The club also offers the opportunity to donate reusable beakers and thereby supports a range of local initiatives. In the 2022/23 season the call for donations in 2019 raised over €40,000 which went to the Reuschenberg wildlife park, the Förderverein fan project and the homeless charity Kältegang. In the 2023/24 season the recipients now include the animal protection organisation Tierschutz Leverkusen e.V.. Every beaker donated is equivalent to a donation of two euros. The collecting containers are on the lower tier in the immediate vicinity of exits and in the North Stand centrally opposite Block SD3/D3.
In addition, Bayer 04 have two composting machines on the site of the stadium. While one machine processes cuttings from the grass pitches, the other machine turns food waste into compost. The self-produced compost can be used in areas of the Bayer 04 buildings. This measure reduces waste collection and thereby saves CO2.
In order to not produce too much food, the concept in stadium catering involves a continuous monitoring of food waste. The club is also committed to be active against food waste.
CO² footprint
Bayer 04 has recorded its CO² footprint for 2022 and published the results.
A total of around 50 per cent of CO² emissions comes from the areas of mobility, travel and accommodation. That covers both supporters travelling to games at the BayArena as well as the travel undertaken by the Bayer 04 teams and staff for matches and other activities. It is worth noting that numbers visiting the stadium during the reporting year were reduced due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It is also worth noting that Bayer 04, in addition to the many (including European) games, also travelled to the USA and Mexico as part of the internationalisation programme.
The CO² footprint forms the basis for the development of future reduction measures – always taking account of the core business. Bayer 04 is working intensively on strengthening competitive capacity while simultaneously reducing the CO² footprint.
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