It's 2023, but Hoffenheim already live in the future: Welcome to the first zero-waste stadium in Europe

Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim announced they are the first European team to play at a zero-waste stadium. Following a thorough inspection by a German ecology agency, Hoffenheim's Rhein-Neckar-Arena has been certified as "zero-waste". But what does that mean?

The basic idea behind the concept is to avoid waste entirely. However, since that is not possible at major events with thousands of visitors, the focus is instead on reintegrating the trash into recyclable materials. Concrete examples are the returnable beverage cups and the grass paper obtained from the stadium turf, on which autograph cards and matchday flyers are printed.

This is unique in Europe and means there is less waste in Hoffenheim's ground than in other stadiums. Specifically, around 87 per cent of the waste generated during matchdays will be recycled. And according to the club, several tons of garbage accumulate every time the club plays a home game! According to the Bundesliga club, every match-goer will have an important role to play in keeping the environment green. Fans are urged to sort through the waste they throw away and put them in separate bins around the stadium. Their ambitious goal is to reach the point where 100 per cent of the waste generated should be recycled. Additionally, the project is to be extended to other training centres and locations in the club.

The club's efforts towards climate protection and minimising non-recyclable waste have also included their fans, who have been participating and involved every step of the way.

Hoffenheim is a unique club in Europe. With its origins in a small village in the southwest of Germany, they used to be just what you'd expect: a village team nobody had ever heard of for over a century. But everything is different now thanks to one man - Dietmar Hopp. The wealthy businessman took control of his village's team in 2000 and turned it into a top-tier club by 2008. But their rise hasn't stopped there.

Since playing in a small village was no longer viable, the club built their new home between 2007 and 2009 in the nearby town of Sinsheim. Although the town has only 36,000 inhabitants, it helped the club grow quicker in the community and the region. The stadium, currently bearing the name PreZero Arena for sponsorship reasons, is the largest in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan area - and is quite revolutionary.

The recognition is the result of years of hard work towards becoming a pioneer in battling climate change. According to managing director Denni Strich, it is an incentive to keep cooperating with PreZero.

"This was a great vision for us. We're very proud and happy about it."

BUNDESLIGA - MATCHDAY 31

Friday

21.30: (1.75) Mainz (3.70) Schalke (5.40)

21.30: (1.73) Leverkusen (3.60) Koln (5.30)

Saturday

16.30: (3.20) Hertha (3.50) Stuttgart (2.40)

16.30: (4.10) Freiburg (3.60) RB Leipzig (2.04)

16.30: (2.42) Hoffenheim (3.50) Eintr.Frankfurt (3.00)

16.30: (1.99) M' gladbach (3.50) Bochum (3.90)

16.30: (3.40) Augsburg (3.35) Union Berlin (2.35)

19.30: (8.50) Werder (5.50) Bayern (1.37)

Sunday

18.30: (1.56) Dortmund (4.30) Wolfsburg (6.00)

***odds are subject to change***