The scale of the Problem
Throughout this discourse I will attempt to build an understanding around the environmental impact of outdoor equipment used in the outdoor and multi activity industry. I am dividing this discourse into sections, so I can easily compartmentalise the research and responses. I would also like to take this introduction to state that I will not be using AI to acquisition data or to formulate opinion.
the writings will focus specifically on the different areas as follows: The first will outline the overall scale of the problem and how to measure it. Another will focus on the equipment itself from its manufacture, to purchasing it, to its use and then end of life (EOl) disposal of that equipment. The last will share what the industry is doing to implement change going forwards?
The scale of the problem.
How can the impact be measured?
Truthfully, I don’t think we understand the scale of the problem within the outdoor sector as it stands at the moment. As I am aware the outdoor industry isn’t regulated by a specific sustainability regulator and isn’t always subject to declare their data on waste to the government (gov 2026). So the question still stands, how can you measure this data so you can understand it and implement change from it.
The RYA Green Blue is a sustainability initiative set up by the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine in 2005 (TheGreenBlue2025). In a recent article titled “End of life boats” The RYA (2026) outlined what happens to boats, especially ones that are crafted with Fibre Reinforced Plastic or FRP for short, I had heard of this being called fibre glass more commonly in the industry. The conclusion was, there was currently no Infrastructure built into supporting UK boat owners to dispose of boats properly due to there only being “a handful of organisations that deal with EOl small craft” according to the article. Most of the cost being put onto the final boat owners which , the RYA rightly stated, is often the “least likely to be able to afford it”. This results in a large amount of abandoned boats around the UK. The Green Blue is now attempting to grasp an idea on the gravity of the problem by releasing a plea for people to report abandoned boats that they see in a bid to gain some data. This is one case of an organisation now trying to gain data around the environmental impact of their industry.
With boats, I find this is more evidenced and much easier to gain data around being that you can see them, they are often near public land, they are bigger and an abandoned boat is much harder to miss over a mound of decommissioned harnesses bound for a landfill skip on private land. According to Sport England (2026) Paddle Uk have set up campaigns to clear green and blue spaces from waste with their “Big Paddle Clean Up” initiatives to drive education as-well as prevention of sewage in waterways, but it’s not addressing the direct impact of the paddling and the equipment it entails especially once disposal is the only option. The RYA and Marine joined forces to build the initiative that became The Green Blue and many governing bodies have sustainability campaigns, but I couldn’t find a multi activity initiative specifically for the purpose of data acquisition around the sports impact on the environment including education for proper disposal avoiding landfill.
If people can’t see it, does that mean that equipment disposal simply isn’t happening? From my observations working in the outdoor industry across sailing, climbing and multi activity, I and many others can tell you that it is. The term ‘decommissioned’ and ‘graveyard’ are synonyms with routine checks. Cutting up old gear that isn’t fit for purpose is part of the job, and an important one. What this piece isn’t attempting to do is prevent kit from being decommissioned that needs to be. Working to manufacturers guidelines is paramount and a pillar to the safety standards that centres should hold themselves too. However, how we dispose of the equipment once it’s established as a right off, is up for debate. How can the impact be measured, well I at this stage I don’t have an answer. I know from my experience that for certain regulations and EU standards records must be kept for health and safety equipment. Many of these being metals and textiles. Records are keep digitally, for the most part on tools such as Assettrac and Paper Trail. Once the products are marked as disposed they can no longer be used on site and are destroyed and disposed of. There are records of this all across the UK what I estimate to be thousands of meters of rope and other items marked as disposed and headed straight for landfill. What I want to establish is can the same tracing tools be used to note how and where the product is being disposed. The data inputted is private to the organisation and it’s up to them how they choose to use that data. Budget and time restraints are worth adding here as currently the disposal method isn’t the priority here it is checking kit is fit for use. In short I think we have the data, the companies have the records of how much kit is going out, what needs to be asked now is what is actually happening to the kit next?
Please take this initial article as food for thought. If you have any notes to add or have an understanding on the topic you wish to share please do. My upcoming writings will cover the equipment itself and end of life (EOl) disposal of that equipment. The last will share what the industry is doing to implement change going forwards?
To conclude I have started a small business called Decommission. I will cover this more in further writings. However the mission put simply is to find a solution to the outdoor education industry’s waste problem. For now I have taken in a hoard of decommissioned product in the bid to prevent it from going to landfill and begin a circular economy concept. I understand that product production alone from the material isn’t enough to fix this but it’s a start. Along side this research, reaching out to other professionals and building conversations.
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