Waste minimisation in related sectors
Initiative description: Using information events, awareness campaigns and/or public guidance to share and encourage responsible waste management practices in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™-related sectors, such as accommodation, food and beverage, and merchandise. This includes engaging with the relevant entities to encourage responsible waste management practices in all locations, such as streets and public areas around FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ sites.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ provided a platform from which to raise awareness of responsible waste management practices. Tournament organisers took this opportunity to engage businesses in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ related sectors and local communities, with the aim of encouraging a culture of waste prevention, recycling, and increased environmental action. This was primarily achieved through the OneTide programme and hotel engagement workshops, which led to an increase in Green Key Award certification in the hotel sector.
The OneTide programme
The OneTide programme was established by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) to engage the local community to prevent plastic pollution. The programme involved a number of fan and business engagement activities, including:
OneTide Week Campaign: a series of workshops for Qatari organisations and industries, with a focus on specific sectors playing important roles in delivering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Dedicated waste reduction workshops were delivered for the merchandise, food and beverage packaging, gift items, apparel, the event management sectors, and subsequently, plastic reduction toolkits were developed for the merchandise, food and beverage, apparel, and event management sectors. These are all available on the OneTide website.
OneTide "Kick Plastic Challenge": fans and football legends such as Cafu, Ronald De Boer and Tim Cahill attempted to kick a plastic bottle into a recycling bin. Participants nominated three people to continue the challenge on social media to encourage recycling in Qatar. Individuals and business stakeholders joined the #KickPlasticChallenge across LinkedIn and Instagram.
OneTide Pavilions: set up in fan areas during the tournament. The pavilions featured installations, information, speeches, workshops and games aimed at inspiring and empowering people to take action to reduce their plastic waste. One pavilion was located in the Corniche pedestrian fan area, and another in the Kahramaa Awareness Park near Al Thumama Stadium, with an estimated footfall of over 100,000.
OneTide Industry Coalition: launched at the Education Above All pavilion at the FIFA Fan Festival™. The group, including the SC, Qatar’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, and local, regional and global organisations, will leverage Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ to promote awareness of and positive action towards sustainable consumption in order to support the local economy. The coalition will carry forward the commitment to the environment and help organisations across Qatar and the region develop innovative circular solutions for plastic.
Hotel engagement workshops
In collaboration with the Qatar Green Building Council – now Earthna Centre for a Sustainable Future – and the Qatar National Tourism Council – the SC consulted Qatar’s hospitality sector and encouraged the adoption of sustainable practices in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and beyond. This included workshops on sustainability best practices with the aim of minimising the environmental impact of stays at hotels, campsites, apartments and other accommodation.
The workshops engaged participants from nearly 100 local hotels and led to the development of a 'Green hospitality in Qatar: green hotels, challenges, and pathways' report in 2021. The report outlined the key outcomes of these workshops and proposed steps that the hospitality sector in Qatar can take to align itself with international best practices and transform itself into a greener sector. This included actions such as:
developing a hotel waste management plan that focuses on the waste management hierarchy;
implementing systems to monitor and measure waste;
empowering staff through training and awareness programmes; and
developing a sourcing strategy that prioritises sustainable procurement options.
The outputs of the workshops supported local hotels to earn certifications through initiatives like the Green Key certification, a leading international standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. The award assesses 13 criteria, including waste management, green activities offered to guests and staff engagement. A total of 13 hotels in Qatar were awarded Green Key certification in advance of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.