Team GB Tackles Kit Waste Through New Resale Partnership

Hundreds of items of surplus Team GB clothing and unsold merchandise are finding a second life through a new partnership with specialist resale platform Kitround. The initiative aims to reduce waste in elite sports and will see hundreds of items from the Paris 2024 Games initially made available, with future events like Milan Cortina 2026 also included.

The proceeds from these sales will support the British Olympic Association's (BOA) charity arm, the Team GB Foundation, as part of a broader effort to create a circular economy for sports apparel.

The Challenge of Surplus Kit

Elite sport faces a significant challenge with kit wastage. Joanna Czutkowna, director of sustainability consultancy 5thread, estimates that up to 100,000 items of sports kit end up in UK landfill annually. This surplus often arises because large quantities of kit are purchased before the final roster of athletes for an event is confirmed.

Commercial contracts, sometimes involving 'value in kind' arrangements where products are provided rather than purchased outright, can also inadvertently incentivize over-ordering. Performance requirements for athletes, demanding specific materials and designs, further complicate efforts to reduce quantities.

The total amount of surplus kit is difficult to quantify, as much of it may remain in storage or athletes' personal possession without entering formal waste streams. Governing bodies like Uefa have suggested that up to 60% of professional team apparel can be disposed of at the end of a season, though this figure is unverified.

Overcoming Resale Barriers

Obstacles to simply giving away or donating surplus kit often stem from contractual agreements that may prohibit items from entering the open market or protect proprietary designs. However, Adam Stevens, co-founder of Kitround, highlights that these agreements do not preclude resale.

For athletes like British kitesurfer Lily Young, the drive for peak performance can also lead to surplus. "This is basically brand new, but it's not quite good enough to maybe win," she explains, referring to equipment that doesn't offer a competitive edge. Changes in sponsorship can also render existing kit obsolete for athletes.

Young and her peers have found ways to pass on usable items to younger athletes and teams. Organizations like Sail GP and the Royal Yachting Association are also utilizing resale platforms to offer second-hand elite kit to the public at lower prices, addressing cost as a significant barrier to entry for aspiring athletes.

Team GB's Evolving Approach

Jen Rouse, managing director of the Team GB Foundation, stated that ordering processes are becoming more precise, leading to reduced leftover stock. Team GB is also exploring options such as producing more generic apparel that can be used across multiple Olympic cycles and facilitating athletes' return of unneeded clothing.

Rouse emphasized that excess clothing has not necessarily been left unused, asserting, "It's not necessarily been sitting gathering dust in storage. It's always found a way out." The partnership with Kitround establishes another avenue for this, directly supporting the Foundation's work.

The ultimate goal is to establish a circular economy for sports kit, prioritizing reuse, repair, and resale to ensure that manufactured items are worn as intended, rather than discarded and sent to landfill. "A kit was made to be worn... and it should be back out there," Stevens noted.