Sustainable Sport NEWS

Sydney Motorsport Park managed by the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC) in partnership with the NSW Government, has received Australia’s first and only sustainability accreditation from motorsport’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), as part of its Environmental Accreditation Programme.

The achievement places Sydney Motorsport Park among an elite group of just 19 world-class venues, including Silverstone, Monza, Imola, and Mugello, to have earned this prestigious industry accreditation. Additionally, SMSP has advanced directly to a two-star rating out of a possible three stars, thanks to its impressive progress in the field of sustainability.

In July of this year, SMSP again retained its status of Australia’s most sustainable circuit in the global Sustainable Circuits Index, which it has held since 2021. SMSP remains the only permanent racetrack in Australia to receive a ranking in the internationally recognised index.

ARDC Sustainability Manager Tan Nguyen notes “sustainability in motorsport is so much more than repurposing consumables like tyres, it’s about adapting a mindset towards more environmentally friendly methods and processes.

“Most importantly, however, it’s about instilling a culture of constant improvement.”

Chief Executive, Glenn Matthews added “the ARDC partners with a range of leading organisations that share our vision, including Closed Loop and global beverage group, Asahi.

“SMSP’s international recognition for sustainability is testament to the relentless dedication and hard work of our partners.”

Closed Loop advised via social in October 2023 “we have been Sydney Motorsport Park sustainability partner since February 2022 repurposing, recycling and composting waste at their park and have increase their waste diversion rate by 245% in just 12 months.

“To achieve this, Closed Loop implemented a range of initiatives such as increasing the number of waste streams to repurpose and recycle more waste, such as paper cups recycling through Simply Cups Australia New Zealand.’

As a major drawcard in the Supercars season race calendar, the night round held at SMSP in July once again saw the multi-faceted entertainment precinct beat its own sustainability performance, diverting 76% of waste generated from landfill – a 10% improvement over the 2023 event.

Supercars COO Tim Watsford said “Like every facet of our sport, sustainability is a team effort and something we aspire to do together.

“The ARDC and its running of Sydney Motorsport Park is the gold standard for sustainable best practise in Australia, and we relish the opportunity to continue to push each other to improve and reach for even better outcomes in the future.”

By the numbers: sustainability at SMSP

• With several months still to go, 2024 is continuing to shape up as another strong year of sustainable performance for the ARDC and SMSP, with the circuit already achieving the following in the first nine months of the year:
• Processed 894.7m³ of waste, with 650.5 m³ saved from landfill through recycling, repurposing, and composting.
• 6700 litres of cooking and motor oil recycled and used for other purposed, such as biodiesel.
• Over 60,000 coffee cups recycled and sent for upcycling projects, including building and construction materials.
• All waste was hand sorted on-site into nine distinct waste streams: General Waste, Comingled Recycling, Paper & Cardboard, Simply Cups, Container Deposit Scheme, Organics, EPS (Polystyrene Foam), Scrap Metal, and Oil. 

Related Articles

4th September 2023 - Motorsport Innovation Precinct opens at Sydney Motorsport Park

30th June 2021 - PMY Group partners with Australian Racing Drivers Club to transform Sydney Motorsport Park

23rd April 2021 - Resurfacing works complete at Sydney Motorsport Park’s Dragway

5th May 2020 - Lighting upgrades commence at Sydney Motorsport Park

25th February 2019 - NSW Government backs Supercars return to Sydney Motorsport Park