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When Gideon Kodua came off the bench and scored a 92nd-minute winner for Luton Town in their seven-goal thriller against Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup last month, the impact was felt far beyond Kenilworth Road. The 4-3 win did not just take Luton into the second round of the competition, but it ensured that 8,000 trees will be planted in Uganda over the next few months thanks to an initiative by the sportswear manufacturer Reflo.
As the kit supplier to both clubs, it was a dream cup tie for Reflo. They marked the game by pledging to plant 1,000 trees – and an extra thousand for every goal scored in the game. This is not the only tree planting Reflo has undertaken this season. “We created a third kit for Luton, which is a green kit,” says Reflo founder Ross McFadyen. “We plant a tree in Luton for every goal they score in that kit and those trees will be at Power Court, their new stadium.”
The club’s green kit is designed with the pattern of four different leaves – beech, ash, ivy and oak – chosen from the names of roads that encircle Kenilworth Road. Unlike other football shirts, it does not have to end up in landfill – which is a massive problem for the industry and the planet. “Globally, around 92 million tonnes of textiles are discarded each year, with kits and unsold stock adding heavily to this problem,” says McFadyen. “In the UK, more than 300,000 tonnes of textiles end up in landfill or incineration annually. Football jerseys are mass produced, but with absolutely no end-of-life story about them.”
Reflo is doing things differently. “It’s our commitment to keep kits out of landfill and give every product the best possible end-of-life solution,” says McFadyen. “Post-use, the kit can be sent back to us and we can recycle it. In Luton’s instance, we collect the kits back as and when, and will take them all in for recycling at the end of the season.”
The company is already working in a number of different sports. They have partnerships with Williams and Jaguar in Formula One, Nissan and Andretti in Formula E, Soul Padel and the Open. Reflo’s golf gear also helped them land a new partner and investor. Harry Kane came across its apparel while playing golf and was so impressed by the kit and Reflo’s business plan that he became an investor. Kane, a scratch golfer, says he was drawn to the business as he wants to create “a sustainable legacy” for his family.
By choosing to work with Reflo, Kane is following in the footsteps of Forest Green Rovers. Led by chairman Dale Vince, the National League club have instituted a range of headline-grabbing innovations at their stadium, including solar panels, electric car charging points, water recycling, an electric lawnmower, an organic pitch, and an entirely vegan menu for players and fans. Fifa has described them as “the world’s greenest football club” and they have been recognised by the United Nations as the first carbon-neutral club.
Like Luton, Forest Green are in the process of building a new stadium. The 5,000-capacity ground at Eco Park will be made of timber and will boast a host of other environmental features. The club have asked their architects at Zaha Hadid to produce the “world’s greenest football stadium”.
Luton hope to open their new Power Court Stadium at the beginning of the 2028-29 season. They are aiming for a “very high BREEAM rating” – the system used to assess the environmental performance of buildings. “We’re committed to making Luton Town a club that entertains, competes at the highest level, and leads the way in protecting our planet,” says CEO Gary Sweet.
“It’s really important that our sustainable goals have real purpose and make a real difference – as opposed to ticking boxes like you often see,” adds Ben Kensell, the club’s Chief Revenue Officer. “Along with our partnership with Reflo, we are reviewing all areas where we believe we can make a sustainable difference and it is front of mind and very much part of our club mission and values.”
Kensell stresses the importance of getting supporters fully engaged. He was both delighted and amused by one of the chants when they played Burton Albion at the end of August. “We were 2-0 up,” Kensell says. “Then the away fans started singing ‘we want tree’ – which really struck a chord. Every goal resulting in a tree being planted gave it purpose and meaning, but we can have fun with it.”
Luton will be wearing their green kit for their FA Cup tie against Fleetwood Town on Saturday, meaning more trees will be planted at Power Court for every goal they score. Their fans, anyone who cares about the planet and Kane will be hoping for another seven-goal thriller at Highbury Stadium.
This is an article by Richard Foster, the writer behind The Football Mine and host of the podcast It Started With A Kick.
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