Valencia launches ‘Caps for Sport’, a pioneering circular economy project in the sports sector | OneFootball

Valencia CF, the Ayuntamiento de València - through València Innovation Capital -, AIMPLAS (Technological Institute of Plastics) and the Fundación Deportiva Municipal presented this Thursday morning the project "Tapones por el deporte" ("Caps for Sport"), an innovative initiative that promotes circular economy by giving a second life to waste generated in sports events.

‘Caps for Sport’ is a pilot project already under way and will continue until the end of 2026. It focuses on collecting bottle caps at Mestalla and transforming them into new products for sport and leisure, such as seats and table tennis nets. These items will be used to refurbish municipal sports facilities damaged by the flash floods, particularly in the districts of Horno de Alcedo, Castellar-Oliveral and La Torre.

The project pursues three main goals: exploring the potential of circular economy in large-scale sports events by demonstrating how plastic waste can be turned into value-added products before recycling; raising public awareness about sustainability and responsible waste management; and generating a positive social impact by improving municipal sports facilities in the areas affected by the flash floods.

Commitment to sustainability and innovation

During the presentation, Valencia CF expressed its satisfaction at being part of this initiative.“Mestalla is a meeting point for thousands of people every week, and we want to harness that collective energy to drive positive change. With ‘Caps for Sport’, the Valencia CF fans become the driving force behind a project that combines sport, sustainability and social commitment,” said the Club’s Director of Operations and Infrastructure, Christian Schneider.

València’s Councillor for Innovation, Paula Llobet, highlighted that ‘Caps for Sport’ is an example of how València can lead projects that combine sustainability, innovation and solidarity.“Moreover, we integrate citizen participation and social commitment into resource management. València is moving towards a more responsible city model, where sport becomes a platform for public-private collaboration in action.”

Adrián Morales, Senior Researcher in Mechanical Recycling at AIMPLAS, underlined the importance of innovation in this type of project.“We turn a simple bottle cap into a high-value raw material, ready to be transformed into products that improve our cities. Providing the plastics industry with quality recycled materials that meet demanding regulations is a real opportunity for growth. Recycling thus becomes a forward-looking strategy that unites sustainability and innovation, generating value for industry, the environment and society”.

Finally, València’s Councillor for Sports, Rocío Gil, emphasised the social dimension of the initiative:“Every bottle cap collected at Mestalla will become a tangible improvement for the neighbourhoods that suffered from the flash floods. It’s a project that unites citizens through sport, responsibility and hope.”

Awareness and citizen engagement campaign 

The project includes a communication and awareness campaign aimed at both fans attending Mestalla - to inform and encourage them to collect bottle caps during matches - and the general public, to share the project’s progress throughout its different stages.