Australia: PFA Partners With UK’s ‘The Great Save’ To Reduce Football Kit Waste

Naarm | Melbourne | Wednesday 12 March 2025

• PFA joins The Great Save 2025 to promote sustainability in Australian football through kit donation, upcycling, and recycling.
• Partners include KitAid Australia, The Salvation Army, and Unwanted FC to ensure unwanted football apparel is reused, limiting waste in landfill
• Clubs, players, and fans encouraged to adopt sustainable practices

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has partnered with the UK’s Green Football Weekend for The Great Save 2025 — a global campaign tackling football kit waste.

By bringing The Great Save to Australia, the PFA is urging clubs, players, and fans to rethink how they dispose of kit and its environmental impact. The Great Save aims to keep sports kit in play for longer - via donations, re-sale, reusing or upcycling – helping to reduce waste, save money, and support those in the community who may otherwise lack access to kit.

The PFA is collaborating with sustainability partners to drive real impact. KitAid Australia and The Salvation Army will distribute donated kit to disadvantaged communities, while Unwanted FC will help players upcycle old jerseys. Vintage resellers will also keep classic and retro kits in circulation.

“Sustainability in football is increasingly important to players and fans,” PFA Chief Executive Beau Busch said. “The Great Save 2025 offers a real chance to keep kits in use longer, reduce waste, and provide gear to communities in need.

“Building sustainable practices in clubs and leagues requires a whole-of-industry effort, and I’m proud that players are once again leading on this critical issue.”

An extension of the PFA’s Greener Games 2024, The Great Save follows the PFA’s nomination for Elite Organisation of the Year at the BBC Green Sport Awards.

Emma Ilijoski, a member of the PFA’s climate-conscious advocacy group, Our Greener Pitch, said supporting The Great Save would help leverage football’s global appeal, and connect fans and players to make an impact in the UK and Australia.

“Footballers collect a lot of gear during their careers, from junior clubs through to senior professional football. Instead of letting it go to waste, we can create a cycle where kit is reused, keeping its nostalgic value, and also benefit those in need. The Great Save makes that possible.”

In 2024, the PFA’s Stoppage Time report explored football’s climate impact in Australia and New Zealand.

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