The East Midlands Softball League has announced that this year's annual Labor Day Tournament, scheduled for the weekend of September 15-16 atLeicester University Sports Ground, Stoughton Road, Oadby, Leicester, may be the first in the country to offer a full recycling facility on each pitch.
So while players are hitting for the cycle (single, double, triple and home run) they can recycle as well!
Three bins
Tournament Organiser Kayleigh Green from the Leicester Royals has advised that each pitch will have three bins adjacent to it for general waste, paper and plastic. The bins will be provided by the local council.
Kayleigh said, "Regular tournament goers will have often seen the number of plastic bottles and cans that can build up at the side of a pitch during the day, and with recycling becoming the norm for households and businesses it's only right that softball should also do the same."
Matt Johnson, EMSL League Secretary, said, "The players in our league who go away to play in other tournaments across the UK have said that they've not seen any recycling happening there, so if we're the first to offer this then we're very proud to be able to do so."
Carbon footprint
Kayleigh Green is also in talks with a company that will be able to analyse the tournament's carbon footprint. This will allow the East Midlands Softball Leaue to see the impact the competition is having and will highlight where improvements can be made, with the league then working to try to reduce this year-on-year.
This year's Labor Day tournament has filled up in record time, with all 24 places now taken.