Middlesbrough's green initiative ahead of Sunday's red-hot derby with Sunderland

Middlesbrough are inviting fans of both teams at this weekend’s derby game to unite in support of environmentally-friendly action.

The club is embracing national Green Football Weekend - the annual initiative which encourages fans to do something sustainable for the planet, however big or small - hoping to show that little changes can make a big difference. And it is highlighting ways in which Middlesbrough and Sunderland fans can play their part, including making use of recycling facilities, going vegan for the day or arriving at the ground by greener routes than normal.

A Boro club spokesman said: “We’re proud of the way that Teesside as a region has been at the forefront of the green transition in recent years. As a club we’re fully behind efforts to create a greener more sustainable world for future generations of supporters.

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“It’s great that football as a sport can use its profile to encourage people to take actions which will help themselves and help the planet and we’re hoping that fans at the derby will enjoy taking part. The Green Football Weekend has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and could become a fun part of the football calendar.”

Last year, Middlesbrough marked the event by offering to plant a tree for every goal they scored that weekend - a gesture which saw three new trees planted in the wake of a 3-0 home win to Blackpool FC. This year, the club has upped its involvement with a whole series of ways of taking part.

The club spokesman explained: “As well as highlighting some of the work that goes in to make MFC a greener, more sustainable football club, we’re inviting supporters to take part too. We’re offering the chance to bring damaged or unwanted small electrical items to the match and we’ll collect them to be recycled. The two drop-off points are at the FanZone and outside the North Stand.”

The club is accepting mobile phones, remote controls, VCRs, digiboxes, electrical toys, kettles, hair dryers, electric toothbrushes, shavers, vapes, small kitchen appliances, small power tools, small radios and small clocks. The club wants to make it clear though that items it can’t take, (and which should be taken to the nearest recycling centre), include ovens, dishwashers, fridges, washing machines, TVs, laptops/computers, and lightbulbs.

The club is also asking fans to think about ways they might make their matchday journey more sustainable. There are bike racks at the Riverside, located at the FanZone and outside of the East Stand. And for more information on walking or cycling in the area, anyone interested can visit the Middlesbrough Walking and Cycling Hub.

Those travelling from further afield, especially away fans are asked to consider car sharing with friends or family as a way of saving costs on fuel and parking There’s also public transport and MFC Foundation will run a return matchday bus service from various pick-ups in East Cleveland to the Riverside.

For more information on that or to book on the bus, contact enquiries@mfcfoundation.co.uk, while you can Find out more about other public transport services, including buses and trains, here.

Another big feature of this year’s environmental push is vegetarian and vegan food with organisers pointing out the surprising size in the reduction of carbon emissions if football fans around the country opted for a meat-free day. Middlesbrough offers vegetarian and vegan food options at the kiosks on the Riverside concourses, while the club’s hospitality lounges use seasonal, locally sourced ingredients with a range of vegetarian and vegan options.

As well as asking the supporters to take part, the club is making sure it practices what it preaches when it comes to energy saving. Middlesbrough FC actively encourages staff to reduce their energy usage, while the club’s environment and energy Committee continually reviews energy usage at the Riverside Stadium, Rockliffe and Herlingshaw Centre, to drive down consumption and consider environmental impact.

The whole weekend also links into EFL Green Clubs. EFL Green Clubs is a voluntary, league-wide scheme that supports clubs across the country to improve their environmental operations.

Boro are one of 52 clubs currently on board, working with the scheme’s delivery partner, GreenCode, to assess the club’s environmental performance and discover steps for continual improvement. You can find out more about Green Football Weekend here.