The EU Ecolabel encompasses a range of requirements that support a reduction in environmental impacts from a product’s life cycle perspective and that can help the transition towards a circular economy. This study analyses the level of circularity of the EU Ecolabel by assessing how the product-group-specific criteria of the EU Ecolabel integrate circular economy requirements. Following the Material Circularity Indicator, the study identified key concepts related to the circular economy and classified them into three groups: extension of product service time, material circularity and resource efficiency. This classification system was then used to analyse existing requirements for different EU Ecolabel products. The EU Ecolabel product groups, namely, electronic equipment, hard coverings and textile products, were selected according to the priority areas of the circular economy promoted by the European Commission. The analysis indicates a trend towards enhancing the circular approach in setting the EU Ecolabel criteria despite a heterogeneous distribution of the circular economy requirements among the product groups analysed some of which are influenced by the nature of the product group itself. Some circular economy aspects such as durability, substance restrictions, energy efficiency and provision of information have been integrated into the EU Ecolabel criteria. Although the EU Ecolabel criteria include requirements on the use of recycled materials, strengthening requirements on by-product use and recyclability would enhance material circulation. More requirements on upgradability, reparability and multifunctionality would also enhance the service time of products. Finally, requirements for water and material efficiency would increase product resource efficiency.

Research question The study examines determinants of sport fans' intention to engage in in-event pro-environmental behavior, shedding light on the interplay between perceived environmental responsibility, affective commitment and motive attributions.Research methods Drawing on a survey of European football fans, the study tests the relation between perceived environmental responsibility and pro-environmental behavioral intention through structural equation modelling, also testing the mediation of affective commitment. The study tests the moderation of motives attributions, as substantive or symbolic, on the relation between affective commitment and pro-environmental behavioral intention.Results and findings The results underscore affective commitment as a mediational pathway between perceived environmental responsibility and pro-environmental behavioral intention. The findings also indicate that motives attributions are associated with differences in the strength of the relationship between affective commitment and behavioral intention, evincing differential effects of symbolic and substantive motives.Implications The study advances research on fans' behavioral responses to sport organizations' environmental responsibility by identifying key determinants of in-event pro-environmental behavioral intention. It offers actionable insights, underscoring the relevance of emotionally engaging and authentic strategies for supporting fans' pro-environmental engagement during sport events.

Purpose The sports industry, including professional football, is increasing its commitment to environmental sustainability both at an institutional and club level. However, there are no scientific studies in the literature that assess whether the environmental impact of football justifies such a commitment. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a football match played by Real Betis Balompié, a professional team in the Spanish Liga. Findings The results demonstrate that there are, in fact, significant environmental impacts and the carbon footprint and other impacts of the match are compared. The paper suggests that football club managers should focus on the transport to and from the stadium, the energy consumption and food and beverages as these have the highest environmental impact. Originality/value By measuring the environmental impacts of a professional football match using an LCA for the first time ever, this study offers actionable insights for football clubs to enhance sustainability and bridge significant research gaps in sports ecology.

ABSTRACTSustainability awards are often seen as a mark of credibility and can help companies attract new customers, investors and partners. However, there is some question as to whether the companies that win sustainability awards—and therefore who ought to be genuinely committed to sustainability—correctly communicate their environmental performances according to internationally recognised principles for the fair use of environmental labels and claims such as those set by ISO standards. This study examined the web communication practices of a sample of 100 Italian companies that had won a sustainability award. Our findings showed that, while most of these companies boasted their environmental performance in several ways, they did not always follow the above‐mentioned communication principles. This suggests that companies need further training and education on how to communicate their environmental performance correctly and in a substantiated manner, thus preventing the risk of greenwashing.

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) management activities have had wide-ranging adverse impacts on the Earth's climate. Addressing the problems of construction and demolition waste production requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach and specific attention to the development of sustainable circular on-site practices. This study compares recycled products against conventional products already available on the market. This study applied a life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the benefits of secondary raw material (SRM)-based products compared to conventional virgin raw materials. Focusing on a Spanish case study that had foreseen the revitalization of a degraded area, the construction of a small utility building, and road construction, this analysis also assessed the overall environmental footprint of the overall construction work. The results showed that, despite the impact savings achieved by opting for SRM-based products rather than conventional solutions, the production stages still have the greatest impact on the scale of construction, with the sole exception of the construction of small facilities where the construction itself was the largest contributor. Climate change; water scarcity; freshwater eutrophication; resource use, energy carriers; and resource use, minerals and metals were the most significant impact categories both in the analysis of the construction products and the overall construction work. An LCA is vital in the construction and demolition sector because it provides a holistic understanding of the environmental impacts associated with the different stages of a project's life cycle fostering the implementation of circular on-site practices.

Wastewater and sewage sludge present major global challenges today, necessitating innovative approaches and systems, especially those aligned with circular economy principles. In order to identify the most sustainable and circular solutions, there is an urgent need for research that investigates such novel systems and technologies, especially the use of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in wastewater and sludge treatment processes. Currently, no study has analyzed the environmental impacts and techno-economic feasibility of such an integrated system at a large scale within municipal and a centralized setting. Thus, this study aims to fill this gap by examining a HTCbased circular model through a life cycle assessment to quantify the environmental impacts and employing a life cycle costing approach for economic evaluation. We compare a baseline scenario with a circular HTC-integrated scenario using three alternative strategies that vary by mud/sludge age of 10, 20, and 40 days. Overall, the results revealed that the waterlines generated more environmental impacts than the sludgelines, primarily due to high energy and chemical consumption. The most significant impact categories identified were climate change, marine eutrophication, use of fossil resources and acidification. The model with a 10-day sludge age emerged as the optimal strategy for the circular HTC-integrated scenario. In the baseline scenario, the largest cost was related to sludge disposal. In contrast, the HTC-based solution significantly reduced both disposal and energy costs, while also showing potential for revenue generation by selling recovered hydrochar. This novel system has the potential to save three million euros annually, with a payback time of less than three years. In addition, the cost of environmental externalities was reduced from 0.073/m3 in the baseline scenario to 0.061/m3 for the innovative HTC-integrated system.

Circular actions cannot be considered sustainable if their financial benefits are not demonstrated. While the environmental benefits of the circular economy have been widely studied, sustainable development from a financial point of view has been much less studied. In this paper we assess the financial benefits of circular innovations applied in the fashion industry that have been previously assessed as sustainable using the Life Cycle Assessment. The focus is on two innovative processes such as salt recovery and tannin baths reuse that reuse water, chemicals and raw materials in an Italian small company operating in the tanning industry. A cost benefit analysis was carried to evaluate the net contribution of these actions to the operating margin. Then we model a forward-looking cash flow projection in order to determine the fundamental value of circular investments. Through these practices, the company achieved an increase in operating profitability above 30% and the 10-year value of the salt recovery is 159,061.40 euros, while the reused tanning water equals just over one million euros. The results show unexpected and strong financial benefits that can leverage similar initiatives that would advance resource equity and finally promote a real and convenient industrial dedication to environmental guardianship.

Sport tourism has become an increasingly popular global phenomenon, merging the allure of sporting events with the adventure of travel. Given the scale of such events and the transient spike in population they induce, it is crucial to consider sustainable practices, particularly in choosing accommodations. Green accommodations emerge as a key solution to mitigate the environmental footprint associated with sport tourism. This study investigates the behaviour of sports fans in selecting green accommodations, highlighting the increasing preference for environmentally responsible travel options in the context of sport tourism. Following the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this research assesses how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control influence fans’ decisions towards eco-friendly lodging. Data were collected from an open questionnaire distributed across diverse digital platforms in Italy. The online survey included questions aimed at investigating fans’ preferences and behaviours in selecting green accommodations. Key findings reveal that, while environmental sustainability is not always the primary factor in accommodation choice, there is a notable consciousness towards eco-friendly living among sports tourists. However, the booking of green accommodations often falls short of initial intentions due to factors like limited availability, higher costs, and insufficient information. This study proposes strategies for event organisers and policymakers to bridge this intention-behaviour gap, such as enhancing the visibility of green accommodations and offering incentives to promote sustainable choices. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of consumers’ behaviour in sustainable tourism and underscores the need for integrated efforts to facilitate more environmentally conscious decisions in sport-related travel.

Today, the importance of sustainable tourism has become a global issue. Sport tourism is a relatively recent area of focus, and football tourism is probably the most popular in leisure sport travel. Sustainable mobility is vital to reducing the environmental impact of sport tourism. Since attending football matches has a significant impact in terms of travel, this study investigated football spectators' behaviours in relation to sustainable mobility. By administering approximately 1,500 questionnaires to French football supporters, this study explored what affects supporters' decisions regarding mobility options. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, this study investigated the individual behaviour resulting from intentions, which in turn is influenced by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. This study also considered the role played by other internal factors, such as environmental concerns. Using structural equation modelling, the results highlight that supporters' attitudes and opinions, and their perceived control of the behaviour and society's subjective norms influence their behavioural intention in relation to adopting sustainable mobility actions. This study recognizes the strong willingness to adopt green behaviours among football supporters, which football organizations and tourism actors should support.

Different types of organizations use certifications to reduce information asymmetry in an extensive range of business activities. In some cases, the widespread use of certifications can lead to multiple competing and overlapping standards. Some organizations also obtain similar certifications in a process defined as over-certification, which is understudied in the literature. The primary objective of this study is to identify the determinants of the over-certification process, specifically regarding the influence of stakeholders that motivate organizations to engage in over-certification. Grounded in both signaling and stakeholder theories, this study confirms the isomorphic effect of stakeholders' pressures that creates different motivations for using different (but similar) certifications. An empirical analysis of a sample of 418 European organizations highlights that the decoupling in the interest in certifications is the main antecedent of over-certification in relation to corporate social responsibility-related certifications. Our results also show that the occurrence of over-certification in organizations is mainly due to its ability to impact corporate reputation, confirming the signaling value of different (but similar) certifications.

Research questionFootball is increasing its commitment toward environmental sustainability. However, the research on understanding the role of stakeholders in leveraging the adoption of green strategies in grassroots football seems to be in its infancy. Amidst this context, this study compares the perceptions of football fans, players, and staff regarding green strategies in European grassroots clubs.Research methodsThis study tests four hypotheses through structural equation modeling based on a sample of 1457 respondents from Belgium, France, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.Results and findingsThe results show that the environmental sensitiveness and knowledge of the stakeholders positively shape pressures on green practices adoption in grassroots clubs. However, environmental sensitiveness and environmental expectations from the football world are less strong in the case of grassroots football fans as compared to players and staff. The results also highlight that the environmental knowledge of football fans does not influence their environmental expectations while their environmental sensitiveness does so. These stakeholders' pressures are effective in the adoption of resource efficiency as well as environmental management practices by grassroots clubs.ImplicationsFrom an academic perspective this study corroborates the findings of previous studies focused on sports or related to the relationship between stakeholders' pressures and green strategies in other industrial sectors. Moreover, this study suggests that the football world may follow its path in building fans' loyalty through the adoption of environmentally responsible practices supported by powerful environmental communication, and by fostering fans' engagement in environmentally responsible behaviors.

Assessing environmental performance, measuring the circular economy and quantifying decarbonization have become crucial in green management in recent years. Both scholars and practitioners have focused on different strategies to create performance indicators capable of tackling all these aspects. At the same time, companies have started connecting managers’ and employees’ incentives to the achievement of corporate goals. We analysed a case study of an Italian food company which uses environmental performance indicators to assess corporate sustainability and reward managers and employees. Through a series of interviews with members from all departments, we identified around 200 different key performance indicators, i.e., performance, commitment, control, reactivity, economic, consent, transversal and multifunctional. A final dashboard of around 70 indicators was then created and linked to employees’ rewards. A tailor-made methodology was, thus, used to define target for the company’s management by objectives, taking into account the trend of each indicator. This is the first attempt to investigate how a company can create an environmental performance indicator system to assess corporate sustainability and reward employees through management by objectives. Our study further extends not only the academic literature, but also provides a practical and operative contribution to all the companies that aim to create a new key performance indicator system. Lastly, we merged the management and strategies for promoting green practices amongst employees through a reward system with the environmental performance of each organisational department by creating a methodology to define management by objectives.

The beer industry stands as a significant player in the global economy, and it is increasingly renowned not only for its diverse flavours, but also for its impact on the environment. Amidst its popularity, the beer sector faces mounting pressure to address environmental concerns, particularly related to packaging. As the world is increasingly embracing sustainability as a guiding principle, the beer industry's approach to packaging has come under scrutiny for its ecological footprint. This study aims to shed some light on the environmental footprint of beer production by applying a life cycle assessment, comparing different types of packaging. This study calculated the product environmental footprint of beer consumed in PET kegs, glass bottles and aluminium cans, and performed three sensitivity analyses on load factors of transport, waste transport distance and recycled content. The results identified draught beer in PET kegs as the most sustainable solution for beer consumption, with a footprint of around 90 % lower than the other types of packaging. However, the analysis showed that the biggest environmental impact is found in the cultivation, packaging and use phases, that account for a contribution of 60 %, 27 % and 11 % respectively. The results of this study highlighted the importance of the load factor in the distribution phase, of recyclability and of the use of secondary raw materials for packaging. This study stands as an original and valuable contribution, offering a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impact of beer packaging and of the beverage industry. Its insights can guide breweries, policymakers, and consumers towards sustainable choices, fostering a positive change within the sector. It also questions the sustainability of circular solutions by comparing recycling and reuse options. This study revealed also that a green supply chain management is key in the transition towards a circular economy and in the decarbonization process.