World Rugby tackles plastic waste at the U20 Championship

Earlier this year, World Rugby raised the alarm on how climate change could impact the future of the sport, from extreme heat putting players' health at risk to floods damaging infrastructure and causing commercial losses for clubs and tournaments.

In its 2030 Environmental Sustainability Plan, World Rugby also highlighted its ambition to take climate action, promote circular economy principles, and protect the natural environment. This summer, we saw it put into practice at the World Rugby U20 Championship.

South Africa hosted the tournament, and England won its fourth title after defeating France 21-13 in Cape Town. As hosts, South Africa followed World Rugby’s guidance and demonstrated how sports tournaments can implement initiatives to reduce their environmental impact.

The next generation of rugby players were introduced to an initiative tackling the amount of plastic waste generated during rugby tournaments and leveraging circular economy principles to create positive social and environmental impact.

Converting plastic waste into bricks

The “Bag that Builds” initiative, piloted for the first time during a match between South Africa and Wales in 2022, is a programme that collects discarded plastics at rugby facilities and transforms them into bricks to build housing.

Throughout the World Rugby U20 Championship, 1.8 tonnes of plastic waste were recovered from hotels and stadiums. This recovered waste was transformed into 21,000 bricks to build housing in Cape Town's most under-resourced areas.

“With significant health and environmental risks linked to plastic production, consumption and decomposition, we must collectively do more to reduce waste, especially from plastics and single-use items, wherever we can.”

Jaime McKeown, World Rugby’s Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion Manager

To spread awareness of this initiative, World Rugby and SA Rugby invited Ireland, England, South Africa and New Zealand rugby stars to visit a facility where plastic waste is being repurposed into bricks. But how does it all work?

The phases needed to make RESIN8

The company leading this initiative is CRDC Global. Founded in 2018, they are on a mission to collect plastic waste and repurpose it into valuable materials for the construction and building industry. The key to them reaching this mission is a material called RESIN8.

RESIN8 is made from plastic waste and can be mixed with concrete to improve its performance, increasing flexibility, strength, and thermal resistance. With these properties, RESIN8 can be used in projects to insulate buildings and reduce energy consumption.

To make RESIN8, CRDC Global starts by collecting discarded plastics, such as water bottles, wrappers or containers. This waste is then shredded, melted, and granulated into various sizes and shapes depending on the requirements of concrete mixes.

This circular solution has a double environmental advantage. Not only is plastic waste diverted from landfills or nature, but it is also transformed into a material that replaces the amount of virgin aggregates needed to make concrete bricks.

By supporting this initiative, bringing rugby players to the factory, and promoting CRDC Global's mission to the global rugby community, World Rugby demonstrates how sports tournaments can take climate action by using and promoting climate solutions.