Organisers of the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon have revealed what happens to all the items of clothing which are left behind after the race.
Rather than allowing garments discarded by runners to end up in landfill, event organiser Run 4 Wales was determined to find another solution.
Rachel Madge, Run 4 Wales’ Cardiff Half Marathon Event Manager, said:
“Each year, there is a lot of clothing left behind by runners who’ve been keeping themselves warm in their starting pens.
“While looking at what could be done with these pieces as part of our Green Action Plan at Run 4 Wales, we came across Play it Again Sport. Like us, the charity not only feels strongly about recycling and eliminating waste headed for landfill, but they’re also passionate about making sport as accessible as possible.
“It felt like a no brainer to work with them and support their cause.”
Play It Again Sport, based in Pentre, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was set up in 2017. It takes sportswear donations and sells it at a fraction of the original cost to those who need it.
Money raised is then used to fund and support local sporting groups, like running and walking groups, walking rugby and strength classes, to help the community keep active and give them access to activities they may not otherwise have the chance to do.
Natasha Burnell, Enterprise Manager at Play It Again Sport, said:
“We’ll come to collect donated items after a race, like the Cardiff Half, and these then get sorted in our offices and sold very cheaply to help remove some of the financial burden people might find in sport.
“We get given a wide range of clothes and equipment which we’ll sell on Vinted or eBay. We also have affiliation with a zero-waste shop in Ferndale which stocks some of our items and we’ll regularly put on pop-up shops in schools or at Christmas fairs too, to reach as many people as possible. There’s no set criteria people need to meet to join our groups or buy our goods – we’re here to help anyone who needs us.”
The organisation also has a referral scheme, where schools, social workers and sports coaches can request clothing and equipment for someone who would otherwise be unable to take part.
And anything that is donated, but isn’t sports related, is given to other charity shops in the area.
Natasha added:
“Hoodies are always very useful and we’re also starting to see that people may have purchased a jacket or jumper from a charity shop to wear at the start line and then this gets donated back. This is a great way to promote circular economy while giving back to charity.
“Reducing landfill is one of our key aims and we do our best to ensure that no item donated to us ends up there. Sometimes, not all items that are donated are suitable to be re-sold but we remain committed to finding an alternative use for them.”
The Principality Cardiff Half Marathon has been donating to Play It Again Sport since 2019.
