RECYCLING AND RE USE OF GYMNASTICS SPORTS EQUIPMENT

n the occasion of the celebration of the World Environment Day 2009 and with the endorsement of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the ngo INSTITUTE TEAM FOR THE WORLD and the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation (EGO), together with its member clubs, are launching a pioneering programme entitled:

RECYCLING AND RE USE OF GYMNASTICS SPORTS EQUIPMENT

We are asking the gymnastics athletes, as well as the Boards of Directors of the member clubs, to donate used sports equipment that is “resting” on some shelf at home or at the club and will eventually be tossed away. More specifically, we are looking to collect the following items:
ITEMS OF PERSONAL EQUIPMENT FOR GIRLS (RHYTHMIC AND ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS):
 Used sports suits;
 Used training and competition outfits;
 Training and competition shoes;
 Used shirts.
ITEMS OF PERSONAL EQUIPMENT FOR BOYS (ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS):
 Used sports suits;
 Used shirts / training and competition outfits;
 Competition shorts;
 Competition tights;
 Training and competition shoes.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS SPORTS EQUIPMENT CONFORMING TO FIG SPECIFICATIONS:
1. portable equipment: ropes, hoops, balls, clubs, ribbons
2. mattresses

Sports equipment gathered in the manner described above shall be sent, in collaboration with the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), which is supporting the project, to the African Gymnastics Confederation, in order to assist the development of Gymnastics disciplines in Africa and to enable more children to become involved in the sport.

In this way, three goals are achieved:

 We reuse and recycle sports equipment, which would otherwise probably end up as waste, thus protecting the environment by not adding to the load of waste that would take decades to disintegrate;
 We contribute towards the promotion of Gymnastics disciplines in developing countries;
 We play a small part in eliminating world poverty, since potential athletes from Africa will not have to spend money from their family budget towards buying sports equipment.

All three in full compliance with the U.N. Millennium Goals.

The Hellenic Gymnastics Federation (EGO), as member of the Olympic Movement, considers that the role of sports organizations is not only to develop their relevant disciplines, but also to raise awareness and mobilise the public regarding environmental issues, as well as to lead by example, not only as for EGO own environmental performance as of its member clubs as well.

In that framework EGO proclaims the month of June, 2009 as the month of sports equipment recycling; therefore, all the events taking place within this period are dedicated to the goals of the programme.

Institute Team for the World is the leading sports and environment organization in Greece with a considerable record on awareness raising regarding several hot topics such as climate change, energy conservation etc amongst the sports community and the general public. The Institute is an ngo-npo listed in the Hellenic Aid (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs) registry.

This project is enhancing this link and has both local and international values and can be replicated in other countries around the globe.

For more information please visit http://gymnastics.gr/planetgym.htm