As part of preparations for the FIFA World Cup in 2018, FC Spartak Moscow and the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee (LOC) have launched a project to separate and manage waste at Spartak Stadium, which will host the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. The project is set to get underway on 12 March, when the Russian Premier League resumes after the winter break when Spartak face Amkar Perm.
The project is part of FIFA's and the LOC's Sustainability Strategy for the upcoming World Cup. The LOC will share its successful prior experience of similar initiatives with Spartak Moscow, including the Russia 2018 Preliminary Draw in Saint Petersburg in July 2015. During that event, around 20 per cent of more than four tonnes of gathered material was collected for recycling.
A pilot stage of the project will be carried out in the stadium's East Stand, which has been specifically chosen for the task since this is where the family sector is situated and where fans sit with their children. One of the main aims of Spartak's and the LOC's initiative is to promote a responsible approach to the environment among the younger generation. Separate waste collections will then be set up throughout the stadium.
“We are delighted that Spartak Stadium has shown initiative and willingness to get up to speed with modern trends in terms of sustainable development and reducing the negative impact on the environment,” declared the CEO of the LOC Alexey Sorokin. “Putting this pilot project into place also satisfies FIFA requirements on effective waste management when hosting events.”
“After having successfully implemented the waste and recycling programme for the Preliminary Draw in Saint Petersburg, we are very pleased that the LOC is already implementing a pilot together with one of the stadiums hosting both the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup,” said Federico Addiechi, FIFA Head of Sustainability. “The outcomes will help us in preparing for both events and potentially make recycling programmes more readily available for the general population."