Martin Perry, the Scottish table tennis champion aiming for a more sustainable planet

Why are you passionate about sustainability?

I was unaware of the impact of climate change and the effect of living a more sustainable life had on the world until I started competing for Great Britain and was privileged to travel the world playing table tennis. It was an eye opening experience for me as I was made aware of just how much waste we pollute and the impact it has on people’s lives, particularly in deprived countries and areas. It’s only now that I’m able to look back on my upbringing and understand the cost effective lifestyle my parents had to live by, but now I am able to see the damage such a lifestyle and lack of available alternatives leaves not only on us as people but the environment and the world around us.

Do you lead a sustainable lifestyle?

I can’t for one second claim to lead the most sustainable lkifestyle, who can? But what I can claim to be is an active lifestyle changer. What I mean by this is that I actively look for products that I use regularly and see what changes can be made to become more sustainable. For example, the tupperware I use for meal prep for all of my training and competition, has now been switched to glassware, the cleaning products I use in my home are no longer single use spray bottles that upon finishing get put in the recycling or bin, now I use refillable bottles that can easily be replaced with cleaning tablets that simply pop into the bottle filled with water and it is good as new. It’s the little changes that can make a big difference, they feel less daunting than changing your entire lifestyle.

How is your sport of table tennis addressing the sustainability issue?  

The International Table Tennis Federation has set up a sustainability board in order to tackle issues that occur in our sport. One issue is that in the elite level of the game, so many balls were being discarded as they were deemed too low in standard by the players so they would be discarded. In order to combat this the sport introduced a multi-ball system where a number of balls are selected for the match and rotated point by point similar to tennis. This in turn has resulted in less waste as the balls that are available for selection are all used regardless of the deemed quality. Another initiative is that at the ITTF Para 2023 European Championships in Sheffield, the entire British contingency will be provided with reusable water bottles for the duration, and of course able to continue using them after the competition has finished. Another great table tennis initiative is the brand Toucan Table Tennis which creates table tennis bats from FSC-certified wood, uses organic cotton in it’s apparel collection and ships it’s products in sustainable packaging.

What sports are doing the most to combat climate change?

The main gamechangers trying to combat climate change tend to be those that are in and around the water. Sail GP have made it their ambition to become the world’s most sustainable sport and are making massive steps forward in achieving that ambition by having their clean energy roadmap. Sail GP also work with each host city to provide at least one positive impact project at each event which ties into their strategy to highlight the positivity and enable change to providing clean energy. Another sport near water that is making headway into a more sustainable future is the UK Beach Tour, beach volleyball. They have partnered with Preventeed Ocean Plastic to provide their plastic products which ensures the plastic that is used at these events is sourced from plastic that would have otherwise polluted our waterways and oceans. However it’s not only those in and around the water trying to make a difference, Extreme E motorsport racing successfully committed to a net-zero carbon footprint in it’s first season.

How have you used your platform to support sustainable sport?

I post about my lifestyle changes on social media as well as using my voice online to try and incite change. I was recently a member of the UK Sports’ panel – Environmental Sustainability in High-Performance Sport where I was able to discuss the impact leading a more sustainable lifestyle has on high performing athletes. 

Do you have any brand partners in the sustainability space?

I am very fortunate to be a brand ambassador for Prevented Ocean Plastic which allows me to spread the word of the incredible work that they do as well as leading conversations to living a more sustainable lifestyle within elite sport.

How do you use your platform to support POP?

Prevented Ocean Plastic invited me along to it’s recycling factory in Dumfries which was an incredible experience to be able to see and understand how the plastic they collect is cleaned, processed and turned into something better that can keep going through the same process eliminating the need for virgin plastics to enter our ecosystem. I have been able to use my social media platform to support the annual World Oceans Day campaign as well as post about my shopping experiences. Supermarkets such as LIDL are heavily stocked with Prevented Ocean Plastic which is fantastic to see as it shows that big brands are taking the sustainability crisis seriously.

Are there any sustainable charities you support?

I support the Big Plastic Pledge which is led by athletes and supported by the International Olympic Committee which as well as having lots of valuable and insightful information on their website, it has lots of fun little sustainable pledges that you can sign up for. This not only gives you a goal to achieve but also allows you to start small in your own quest to live a more sustainable life.

What next for Martin Perry in the sustainability space?

Next up for me is the pursuit of reusable baby products. My wife and I are expecting our first child and talking to many parents we’ve came to the conclusion that “you just chuck it away when they grow up”. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to recycle, reuse or pass on our products to those in need when we are done with them as they are not only expensive but often very hard to recycle due to the mixing of materials.