South Downs Leisure’s (SDL) environmental work supports local and national priorities around carbon reduction, circular economy, waste reduction, sustainable travel, energy efficiency, water efficiency and climate action.
As a charitable trust, our public stakeholders are the communities we serve, so environmental responsibility is part of social responsibility.
The programme has been built through practical projects and partnerships. Leisure Loop is a strong example. Across SDL sites, customers and staff collect hard-to-recycle items including pool noodles, goggles, flip-flops and swim caps.
These are diverted from landfill and repurposed into products such as lockers, benches, cubicle panels, waterside storage, changing cubicles and shower wall panels made from Storm Board. To date, SDL has collected over 1,000 litres of waste, prevented 60kg of carbon from going into landfill and completed 11 Leisure Loop collections across Sea Lanes, Wadurs and Splashpoint. Splashpoint has also been recognised as one of the top five Leisure Loop collection sites in the UK, with SDL currently second in the Leisure Loop table and Sea Lanes Brighton seventh.
The programme engages people directly. Customers participate through collection points, reusable products and more sustainable choices. Staff participate through training and site level action. Twelve staff became Carbon Literate following two internal Carbon Literacy courses, helping embed greener thinking into everyday decisions, not just major projects.
SDL is also investing in infrastructure. Recent and ongoing work includes additional solar at Wadurs and Splashpoint, recommissioning the Ground Source Heat system, progressing Heat Network works, new energy-efficient pumps at Wadurs, bike shelters, destratification fans, replacement LED lighting at Lancing and a new Building Management System at Davison Leisure Centre. Water efficiency is another important strand.
A water recovery system is helping save over 700m³ of water a year, equivalent to more than 20,000 showers, supporting the wider aim of making high-use leisure facilities more sustainable. The impact is organisational, environmental and community-based.
Operationally, these projects reduce waste, energy demand, water use and environmental impact. Culturally, they encourage customers and staff to see sustainability as part of everyday leisure. Socially, they help protect essential community facilities for future generations.
This matters because public leisure cannot support healthier communities while ignoring environmental responsibility. SDL is showing that carbon reduction, waste reduction, water efficiency and community wellbeing belong together.
Future plans include growing customer participation in Leisure Loop, expanding reusable and recycled products, continuing Carbon Literacy training, progressing Heat Network works, improving sustainability data capture and embedding environmental responsibility into future capital investment, maintenance, procurement and customer engagement.
South Downs Leisure’s environmental sustainability programme is driven by our responsibility as a charitable trust to support local people today while protecting the places we all share for the future.
The rationale is clear. Public leisure facilities, especially swimming pools, are energy and resource intensive, but they are also essential community assets. SDL is choosing to reduce environmental impact while keeping facilities accessible, welcoming and sustainable for future generations.
The programme runs year-round across our centres and covers waste reduction, circular sustainability, renewable energy, energy efficiency, water savings, staff training, active travel, customer engagement and infrastructure improvements.
Recent achievements include over 1,000 litres of waste collected through Leisure Loop, preventing 60kg of carbon from going into landfill. There have been 11 Leisure Loop collections across SDL sites, with Splashpoint recognised as one of the top five Leisure Loop collection sites in the UK.
As we speak, SDL is currently second in the Leisure Loop table, with Sea Lanes Brighton seventh. The programme has also created a practical circular economy.
Pool waste collected through Leisure Loop is turned into Storm Board, which is now being used for changing cubicles and shower walls at SDL sites.
The programme also includes two Carbon Literacy courses, with 12 staff becoming Carbon Literate, additional solar, recommissioning the Ground Source Heat system, energy-efficient pumps, bike shelters, destratification fans, LED lighting, a new Building Management System and Heat Network works.
A water recovery system is helping save over 700m³ of water a year, equivalent to more than 20,000 showers. What is innovative is the organisation-wide approach. Sustainability is embedded into operations, staff training, customer behaviour, infrastructure, procurement and community messaging.
South Downs Leisure will continue to develop its environmental sustainability programme by increasing customer participation in Leisure Loop, expanding reusable and recycled products, continuing Carbon Literacy training and progressing major infrastructure work such as Heat Network developments, water recovery, solar and energy-efficiency projects.
Future development will focus on improving sustainability data capture, strengthening staff and customer engagement, embedding environmental responsibility into procurement and maintenance decisions, and ensuring future capital investment continues to reduce waste, water use, energy demand and carbon impact.
SDL will also continue to use its role as a charitable trust to connect environmental responsibility with social value, helping protect essential community leisure facilities while supporting healthier and more sustainable communities.
