Football Recycling Initiatives

Samoa Football launched a recycling initiative during the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2025 to mitigate plastic waste generated throughout the tournament. Spearheaded by Pele Taei, Social Responsibility and Just Play Manager for Samoa Football, the program drew on insights from the OFC Social Responsibility Annual Forum and partnered with the Samoa and Tokelau Association of Recyclers (S.T.A.R.) to deploy two dedicated recycling cages on site. Of the more than 300 cartons of water supplied, the initiative achieved the collection of over 4,000 plastic bottles, demonstrating effective collaboration between tournament organizers, players, officials, and spectators in proper waste segregation and disposal.

Beyond the immediate environmental impact, Samoa Football has framed the recycling initiative as a strategic component of its broader sport-for-development objectives under the OFC Just Play programme. The association intends to leverage the partnership with S.T.A.R. for future events and explore the integration of filtered drinking water systems to reduce dependency on single-use plastics. Additionally, Samoa Football plans to seek support through FIFA’s Executive Programme to scale the project nationally, reinforcing its commitment to promoting resilience and environmental stewardship across Oceania’s football community.

Image Credit: