Kia Oval Commits To Reduce Single-use Plastic
Kia Oval has partnered with Sky Ocean Rescue, in a step to becoming a plastic-free venue. With the equivalent of four rubbish trucks’ worth of plastic dumped in the ocean in the time it takes England or South Africa to bowl one over, Sky Ocean Rescue and the Kia Oval are working together to raise the issue of ocean health with cricket fans and asking them to make a few simple changes to help save our oceans.
During the upcoming Test between England and South Africa – the 100th Test to take place at the ground – 20,000 limited edition refillable water bottles given out, with the first 4,000 fans to arrive every day set to receive one, and fans will be encouraged to use the 20 free water points installed throughout the venue, in a move to reduce the amount of single-use plastic consumed across the five days.
On-air, the newly-launched Sky Sports Cricket channel will dedicate parts of its coverage to highlighting the impact plastic is having on our oceans by showing Sky News reports that tackle the issue, and challenging viewers at home to reduce their use of single-use plastics.
Marking the historic Test and leading the Kia Oval’s plans to becoming a plastic free venue, Kia Oval CEO, Richard Gould, said: “We’re very proud to announce the work we are doing with Sky Ocean Rescue, as part of our aim to make the Kia Oval a plastic free sporting venue.
“During the course of the 100th Test, we’re challenging our ticket holders to make simple behavioural changes that will have a dramatic impact on ocean health. We hope by raising the issues with cricket fans we can work together to reduce the use of single-use plastics within our grounds.”
Jeremy Darroch, Sky CEO, added: “The dire health of our oceans is such an important issue, and one that needs to be urgently addressed. At Sky, we want to use our voice and the potential of our reach to inspire people to take action to protect our planet by bringing to life our amazing ocean for millions of people across Europe, and discussing the solutions.
“We’re delighted to be working with the Kia Oval on an issue which sits at the heart of our Sky Ocean Rescue campaign and support them on their journey to becoming a plastic free venue. This is also a great opportunity to drive home the issues with sports fans and underline the actions that can easily be undertaken to reduce our impact on the ocean.”
Information to raise awareness of the issues of ocean plastic will be posted throughout the cricket venue, and the Sky Ocean Rescue mobile studio based at the ground will allow fans to commit their own recorded pledge to becoming an #OceanHero this summer.
There is an estimated five trillion pieces of plastic in the world’s oceans, with eight million tons more ending up in the ocean every year, it never decomposes and will remain there forever. By 2050 all the plastic in the ocean could weigh more than all the fish. By working with the Kia Oval, Sky Ocean Rescue is able to raise the issues that matter and explore the different ways sports fans can help make a difference.
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