The VTB United League congratulates all involved on World Environment Day on 5 June.
The VTB United League is rightfully considered the most environmentally friendly sports league in Russia. The VTB League is actively working to develop and support environmental projects. Several successful eco-initiatives have already been implemented with the League’s longstanding partner SIBUR.
One of the brightest eco-projects in the League’s history is Basketbottle, an initiative aimed at organising the separate plastic. In the 2017/18 season, a separate collection of plastic was organised at all arenas where VTB United League games were played. All teams sent plastic bottles used by players and fans for recycling.
The first eco-friendly basketball created by the League in cooperation with SIBUR was presented at the 2018 All-Star Game in St. Petersburg. It was made using plastic from recycled bottles. As of the 2019/20 season, Ecoball is the official ball of the United League.
Sergey Ivanov, VTB United League Honorary President:
– We are the only sports league in the World that plays with an environmentally friendly ball. It is possible thanks to the Basketbottle project. No clubs had any complaints about the quality of the ball. So we can continue to do projects like this, which not only benefit the sport, but also the environment.
The United League clubs’ eco-efficiency programme started in the 21/22 season. During the year the teams earned points according to various criteria: from separate waste collection in arenas and eco-educational actions for the fans to social-ecological projects with players participation. In the 2021/22 season, Zenit and PARMA-PARI were the most environmentally friendly clubs in the League, while in the 2022/23 it was only Zenit.
At the 2023 All-Star Game, the League organised a recycling workshop together with SIBUR. Guests at the sporting event learned more about plastic recycling and, by spinning the pedals of a cycle shredder, grinded plastic caps into “flex”, which was then transformed with the help of team members right in front of the audience into an eco-friendly keyring with a logo as the All-Star Game souvenir.
In the 22/23 season, the League together with SIBUR had 12 eco-games, resulting in the creation of a single art object made from plastic bottle caps.
