It’s probably fair to say that most of us aren’t thinking about the environment when we buy a new set of golf clubs. Front of mind when we order a brand-new set of sticks is how they’re going to look and feel, and how they might just take our game to the next level.
However, given the rising cost of new golf equipment, more golfers are buying pre-owned clubs. Even if consumers aren’t necessarily thinking about their carbon footprint when they do so, every time used clubs are purchased – as opposed to new ones being ordered and shipped halfway across the world – it’s a positive for the environment.
As Dean Cracknell, Head Of Marketing, golfclubs4cash, Europe’s largest retailer of second-hand golf equipment, explains, buying second-hand clubs is the sustainable and eco-friendly choice that “promotes the benefits of reducing waste by reusing and recycling”.
“The second-hand marketplace is more sustainable because it keeps golf equipment out of landfill,” he says. “We are extending the life of golf equipment by repurposing them and reselling them. By putting products back into circulation, we reduce the need for future manufacturing. These combine to give us a significant carbon emission saving.”
We have, at the risk of sounding like we are giving a lecture, become a throw away society, and it’s rather depressing to think of our old golf gear sitting in the ground, where it can take hundreds of years to degrade. It’s unrealistic to expect golfers to stop buying anything new, but we could all be a little more eco-conscious and aware of how we can minimise our impact on the environment.
Landfill waste
Most of the carbon impact of golf clubs comes from when they are first manufactured. First there’s the mining and extraction of materials, then comes the manufacturing process, followed by the transportation, with many clubs travelling thousands of miles before they end up at our door.
No one understands the impact this has on the environment more than golfclubs4cash. After a study in 2022, the company was able to show that it had contributed to a saving in carbon emissions of 4,158 tonnes, corresponding to over 14 million road miles – the equivalent to removing over 2,000 petrol cars from the road over a 12-month period.
“There are a lot of misconceptions around what happens when golf clubs get thrown away,” adds Cracknell. “The reality is that it costs a lot of money to strip down complex composites and high value materials such as titanium, so in most cases, they simply end up in landfill.”
With over 25,000 used golf clubs listed online on its shelves at any one time, and approximately 1,000 being added each day, that’s a lot of steel that’s being prevented from filling up landfill sites.
Removing plastic
There are a number of other ways that retailers like golfclubs4cash are reducing waste. Carbon-neutral courier guarantee that every parcel that gets delivered is carbon-neutral. No product arrives at or leaves its premises in virgin packaging, and every element, from the box the club travels in, to the tape used to seal it, is made from recycled materials, which can also be reused or repurposed, whilst all plastics have been removed from its packaging.
Whether you’re buying or selling clubs with golfclubs4cash, you can be rest assured that you’re making a sustainable and eco-friendly choice, and doing your bit for the environment. Even if you’ve just ordered a new set of clubs, this is food for thought the next time you come to upgrade your irons or purchase a new driver.
