Samoa Football has taken a leading role in environmental sustainability by launching a recycling initiative during the OFC U-16 Women’s Championship 2025, successfully collecting thousands of plastic water bottles throughout the tournament.
The initiative was spearheaded by Pele Taei, Samoa Football’s Social Responsibility and Just Play Manager, following her attendance at the OFC Social Responsibility Annual Forum in Fiji, where she was inspired by discussions on football’s power to drive positive change.
“The forum reminded us of the Power of Football as part of the four key pillars in our strategy,” Taei said.
“Under the third pillar, Resilient Oceania, it is our responsibility to increase resilience and reduce environmental impact from football. I came home determined to put those learnings into action and support our Member Association.” She added.
Inspired by the Samoa and Tokelau Association of Recyclers’ (S.T.A.R.) Return and Pay initiative, which focuses on protecting the environment, people, and future, Samoa Football, with support from OFC, partnered with S.T.A.R. to secure a recycling cage, further strengthening the OFC U-16 Men’s Championship 2025 sustainability efforts.
As a result, the outcome was significant. Across the tournament, two recycling cages were set up, enabling players, officials, and spectators to properly dispose of plastic bottles.
“From the 300+ cartons of water supplied, we expected to collect around 6,000 bottles,” Taei explained.
“While some water was distributed to hotels for match officials, we still managed to collect over 4,000 bottles during the event. More importantly, we’ve built a partnership that will continue beyond this tournament.”
For Taei, the initiative goes beyond recycling bottles, it’s about using football as a platform for social and environmental change.
“As a sport-for-development programme (OFC Just Play), we promote well-being and a healthy environment for all. From a social responsibility perspective, we’re committed to reducing the environmental impact of football and promoting a more resilient Oceania.”
Samoa Football plans to expand its sustainability initiatives, aiming to integrate filtered drinking water solutions and reduce reliance on single-use plastics at future tournaments. Taei also intends to seek further support from FIFA through the Executive Programme she attends, helping scale up the project nationally.
“This is just the beginning,” Taei added. “We’ll continue driving awareness locally and building partnerships to ensure football contributes to a healthier, more sustainable Samoa.”