AUSactive’s ECOactive Pilot looks to reduce fitness operators’ energy and water costs

March 5, 2024

Nigel Benton

Aiming to make a positive impact on the environmental sustainability for the exercise and active health sector while also supporting its registered business members, AUSactive has been conducting the ECOactive Pilot program.

Funded by the City of Sydney the program is looking to reduce the high costs that fitness facilities frequently spend on energy and water while also reducing waste, water and chemical usage.

Working with AUSactive business members, the program has compiled data that will help the industry peak body provide in-depth recommendations for businesses to foster a more cost-effective and sustainable future with initiatives ranging from structural changes such as solar panels to impactful simple measures that are easy for facilities to introduce.

Explaining the program in a feature in the latest edition of the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine (issue 160), AUSactive Chief Executive, Barrie Elvish advises that findings from the pilot program “can help fitness operators of all sizes stand out from the crowd”.

Elvish went on to state “our mission (in creating ECOactive) was inspired by a simple realisation: our environmental sustainability awards category was underrepresented. This prompted us to investigate global sustainability trends within our sector and discover a wealth of innovative initiatives.

“As a result, we conceptualised the ECOactive Pilot Program, a groundbreaking initiative designed to help businesses reduce energy consumption, minimise waste, conserve water and optimise chemical use.

“We understand that rising utility costs were adding pressure to our members bottom line, and we were determined to address this issue head-on.”

AUSactive webinar
AUSactive is staging a free webinar on at 2pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 27th March 2024 to introduce ECOactive with questions answered by AUSactive's Billie Cox and Sustainability expert Fran Nicols from ECOadvantage.

Click here for more information on the webinar.

Click here to access and read Australasian Leisure Management issue 160.

AUSactive’s Federal Budget acknowledged by mainstream media
AUSactive presentation of set of strategic initiatives for inclusion in the Federal Budget has been picked up by mainstream media with The Australian focussing on the call for tax deductibility for gym memberships.

Elvish told The Australian “these changes need no budget allocation but will support employers to promote physical activity to improve people’s wellbeing, and will incentivise individuals to invest in their health by taking up exercise.

“The whole health system in Australia is geared to dealing with people once they get sick, rather than preventing them from getting sick in the first place. There has to be a complete reset on how we deal with health.”

Click here to view AUSactive’s full budget submission.

Images: ECOactive Pilot Program participants One Playground (top) and KX Pilates (below).

About the author

Nigel Benton

Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management

Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.

In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.

Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.

Click here to connect with him via LinkedIn.