On 16th of May an online webinar was organized in collaboration between Sport #WithoutWaste (BG Be Active) and Green Sports Hub Europe (GSHE / Surfrider Foundation) with the topic of Sustainable Grassroots Sport Events. 

More than 50 participants participated actively and expressed their interest in more sustainable and greener approaches in the sports sector. 

The webinar's main goal was to investigate and forge connections between networks of stakeholders working on #WithoutWaste and GSHE events together with sustainable events. Additionally, another aim was to promote knowledge and expertise exchange between the participants and increase the project's scope as well as the opportunity for networking. 

Both partners introduced themselves and their projects in the first section of the meeting, providing a general summary of the projects' histories and backgrounds, their completed goals, and their desired future outcomes.

The initial stage of the Sport #WithoutWaste program is focused on transferring knowledge among the participating countries which are Albania, Serbia, Turkey, Romania, and Hungary from the BGBA and Bulgaria. The movement's goal is to organize waste-free athletic events.

The major purpose of the GSHE is to support sports organizations to take environmental sustainability initiatives and to implement them at different levels, but all levels of sports need to be addressed, make persistent efforts to adopt new practices, and achieve sustainability. 

Throughout the online session with both partners, the Sport #WithoutWaste (BG Be Active) and Green Sports Hub Europe presented existing tools for supporting grassroots sports events along with the practical concepts, approaches, and solutions developed so far.

The Sustainable Grassroots Sport Events webinar ended with an extended group discussion where participants shared their personal experiences and acquired expertise considering sustainable practices in sports events. 

The GSHE project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, is led by Surfrider Foundation Europe (FRA), with project partners including Association of Cities and Regions for the Sustainable Management of Resources - ACR (BEL), Sports Confederation of Portugal (POR), UKActive (GBR), Green Cycling Norway (NOR), Olympic Committee of Slovenia (SLO), European Volleyball Confederation (LUX), Rugby Europe (FRA), European Athletics Association (SUI) and the EUSA Institute (SLO).

For more information about the project and the New Self-Assessment Tool, please see https://greensportshub.eu/