As arguably the AFL greenest club, Essendon will be undertaking a number of initiatives to support this weekend's inaugural Green Round.
Andrew Welsh has taken part in an AFL advertisement that is running on all club websites reminding people to turn off appliances when they leave their house.
Click here to view Andrew Welsh and other AFL stars deliver their green messages.
At the Samsung player house Kyle Reimers, Tyson Slattery and Kade Klemke are taking on the players from the Carlton house in a challenge to see who can make the most changes to their lifestyle and reduce their carbon footprint.
To learn more about how you can make your home greener visit www.acfonline.org.au/greenhome or simply click here.
Reimers will also be auctioning off his green boots from Sunday’s clash with St Kilda on this website and the profits will go to the Australian Conservation Foundation.
On Sunday the players will run through a very different banner when they enter the field. Thanks to the support of club energy partner, Red Energy, the banner has been made much smaller to show that you can use less paper in many ways.
In 2010 Essendon expect to use recycled paper to make its banners.
These initiatives are in addition to possibly the biggest environmental project ever undertaken at an AFL club when an 800,000 litre water storage system was housed underneath the famed Windy Hill oval surface last year.
The system will capture up to 8 million litres of water each year from existing roof structures, the oval and an approved bore. The water will be stored in massive underground cylinders for use around the club and, especially, for watering the oval.
It was the first project completed under the $3 million Windy Hill Green Precinct which Essendon and the Federal Government are co-funding.
The next stage of the project is set to be announced and will involve implementing an integrated management system to significantly reduce power usage at the club.
To see learn more and pictures of the 800,000 litre Windy Hill water project click here.
The club has also improved recycling practices across Windy Hill and is now also using recycled paper to print the Bomber Magazine.
