On Saturday 21st March, Charlton Athletic FC hosted its annual “Greener Game” at The Valley – with over 20,000 fans in attendance to watch The Addicks play Norwich City. The club teamed up with Veolia to engage the local community with the theme of waste and sustainability.
In the lead-up to the match, Veolia’s local Education, Communications and Outreach team visited three schools in Charlton, which Veolia serves with a nearby Household Reuse and Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station operated on behalf of Greenwich Council. The team delivered educational workshops, teaching students about the 3Rs of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Behind the scenes, Veolia’s commercial team worked hard to take care of The Valley’s waste management, ensuring everything was clean and ready to go ahead of the game.
On match day, 30 students from Charlton Manor Primary School, Thorntree Primary School, and Windrush Primary School took part in an exciting litter picking competition before kick-off, with schools competing to see which group could collect the most litter from the streets surrounding the stadium. All participating students enjoyed tickets to the match, and the winning school, Charlton Manor Primary School, has been invited to Veolia’s Southwark Materials Recovery Facility to see where Greenwich’s recycling goes to be sorted and separated before being sent for onward processing.
David Fitzgerald, Divisional Head of Municipal Operations, Veolia UK said:
“Education and community engagement is essential for the creation of cleaner, greener communities, something we strive to support at Veolia. It was inspiring to see the future generation of environmental champions eagerly involved in the litter pick competition and the educational workshops.”
Neil Hylands, Commercial Area Manager, Veolia UK said: “Working with Charlton Athletic on their 2026 Greener Game was a fantastic opportunity for young residents to learn about the importance of waste and sustainability. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Charlton Athletic FC and supporting more events at The Valley in the future.”
