13 million pairs of football boots end up in landfill each year in the UK. By extending the lifecycle of each pair of boots, we are reducing the volume of boots that end up in landfill each year.

Each pair of football boots sold by Re:Play Football saves 2.98kg of Co2e emissions by displacing demand for a new pair of boots to be manufactured. This is the equivalent of driving 11 miles in an average UK petrol car

The manufacture of new football boots require a mix of materials including petroleum-based plastics, rubber, dyes and adhesives which are typically chemically intensive. Re:Play Football reduces the pressure on natural and non-renewables energy sources in the supply chain.

Grassroots football clubs generate funding from boots they sell to Re:Play Football providing a recurrent revenue stream for clubs that can be reinvested by the club in their team, facilities and for young people in their communities.

Re:Play Football provides each club with the resources to collect unused football boots with minimal investment which can raise funds for clubs throughout the year

Partnerships with grassroots football clubs embed circular practices into organisations. By keeping boots in circulation, clubs are able to reinforce a reuse culture that lowers their environmental impact and supports behaviour change amongst particularly younger football players.

New football boots typically cost between £40-£250, with premium models exceeding £300. For many families, these prices create real barriers to getting children into sport. For football specifically, boot costs hit lower-income families particularly hard because children outgrow footwear approximately every 8-12 months during peak growth years between ages 6-14. Re:Play Football's pricing—typically 60-70% below new retail prices—directly addresses this affordability barrier.

Re:Play Football supplies second-hand football boots which creates community benefits by builds trust and community networks, develop shared identity through common values like sustainability, practical thriftiness, and smart consumption, and develop collective action by working together toward shared goals to strengthen community bonds Prepared for Re:Play Football, 2025 54 For Re:Play Football, these dynamics play out through several mechanisms. Their collection schemes create reciprocity within football communities—players donate boots they've outgrown, enabling other players to access equipment they need

The benefits of getting more children into sport extend far beyond the playing field and links youth sport participation to improved physical health, better mental wellbeing, stronger academic performance, and enhanced social connections. By removing cost barriers, Re:Play Football enables participation among children who might otherwise be priced out of playing the beautiful game

Second-hand markets provide practical opportunities for environmental education among young people. Educational research shows that "learning by doing" approaches—where children directly engage with sustainability concepts through practical action—creates stronger understanding and longer-lasting behaviour change than classroom instruction alone. Buying and selling second-hand football boots works well because it matters to the target age group (children aged 6-16), it's tangible and concrete, making lifecycle concepts easy to understand, the connections between choices and environmental outcomes are clear and immediate, and children experience direct positive feedback through cost savings and environmental contribution