News article
Parma Calcio 1913 shoots for circularity with improved recycling rates
Italian Serie A club Parma Calcio 1913 – better known as simply Parma – saw its recycling rates improve once again in 2023, marking an 11% increase for its sports centre and a 17% uplift for its stadium, Stadio Ennio Tardini.
US-headquartered Krause Group, which owns the Italian football club, began tracking recycling levels in 2021, with waste generation and recycling rates improving year-on-year.
Initiatives implemented in 2022 led to notable improvements in 2023, including the recycling of glass, paper and plastics, as well as the onsite collection of compost, cooking oil, batteries, toners and health waste.
Water fountains installed in 2022 also helped to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles, with plans for additional fountains.
Since early 2021, Parma has sourced 100% of its electricity and gas from certified renewable sources. Last year, this renewable supply was certified by the GSE Energy Services Manager from the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Elsewhere, energy consumption appears to have increased in 2023, though Krause has attributed this to the inclusion of natural gas use in the findings, as this had been excluded in previous years’ calculations. Despite this increase of total energy usage, Krause reported that electricity consumption had gone down.
Moving forward, Parma also plans to enhance the club’s social sustainability elements. It will implement support programmes for long-term player growth and initiate campaigns to celebrate gender equity and inclusion, where the overarching theme is to ensure meaningful representation across all organisational levels.
In terms of environmental sustainability, Parma plans to introduce electric cars and shuttle buses to reduce the club’s carbon footprint. Additionally, the Italian side will look to optimise water usage at the stadium and training centre.
Most recently, Parma installed a photovoltaic system on the roof of its headquarters, which is expected to yield an approximate 8% reduction in annual operational costs and boost reliance on renewable sources.