SUSTAINABILITY

The Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge is turning over a new leaf and doing our part to go green with support from our Official Sustainability Partner, Aspen Bermuda Limited, alongside Keep Bermuda Beautiful and the Bermuda Zoological Society.

All of us are feeling and seeing the effects of a changing global climate, but small island nations (or large ocean states), such as Bermuda, are increasingly exposed to the impacts. As one of the largest sporting events on the island, we wanted to make meaningful changes in how we run our event in an effort to reduce our climate impacts, both locally and abroad (where many of our products are sourced), while also making nature-positive contributions to Bermuda’s environment.

This isn’t a one-year, short-term effort. Starting with the 2024 event, we’re partnering with the Council for Responsible Sport to become a certified responsible event based on our environmental, social, and economic impacts. This, in itself, is a four-year process, and we look forward to learning how to better our event management and procedures while fostering new connections within the community.

We invite you to join us on our journey to make the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge a race that is both fun and sustainable – that way you can come back and enjoy it in the future, the way so many others have. Below you’ll find information on how we’re helping participants go green, as well as how we’re holding ourselves accountable.

We’ve made it easy to start the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge sustainability journey before you even set foot on a plane (or out your front door, if you’re local). Here’s how we’re helping reduce environmental impacts and support our community before race weekend:

• Our event produces an entirely digital event programme to reduce paper waste.
• All participants have the option to donate to several local charities, or to raise money for a charity that does work in their own community.
• If you’re traveling from overseas, you also have the option to calculate your carbon footprint using a United Nations-approved emissions calculator, then offset your travel-related carbon emissions by contributing to a variety of United Nations-approved carbon offset projects
• Bermuda only recycles tin, aluminum, and glass, so please remember to bring a re-usable water bottle to carry along with you throughout the weekend. There are public water refilling stations located throughout Hamilton and your host hotels will also have water available. This is a great way to help the island reduce its reliance on single use plastics.
• Attention paid to increasing the number of products sourced from local Bermuda-based companies, including minority- and female-owned small businesses.

Now that you’re here and the Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge weekend is about to begin, there are even more ways that you can help us go green (many without even trying!):

• At the finish festivals on Saturday and Sunday there will be separate bins for trash, recyclables, and compost (food waste). Please pay attention to the signs indicating the appropriate bin for your waste.
• Many host hotels will be offering shuttle services or taxis to the race start lines or other weekend events, such as the Expo and Pre-Race Pasta Dinner. If you have the opportunity, take advantage of these options (carpooling reduces greenhouse gas emissions!)
• Alternatively, if you want a little more freedom, Bermuda offers the option to rent fully-electric vehicles. Check out Current Vehicles for more information on availability and pricing.
• Beginning this year, in partnership with Gu and Terracycle, we will be upcycling sports nutrition wrappers from gels, chews, stroopwafels, bars, drink mixes, and recovery drink single serve mixes. If you consume any of these (any brand!) while on the race course, please deposit your wrappers at a water station so we can return them to be upcycled.
• Don’t forget to check out your virtual race bag! That’s right – in addition to the swag bag you get at the Expo, you’ll also get access to a virtual race bag in the pre-race newsletter filled with discounts to local restaurants and merchants. In the past, these would’ve been coupons and flyers in your swag bag, but this way we can cut down on paper waste.
• We also have a new “Where to Eat” page on our website highlighting some of the restaurants that regularly feature local produce and seafood on their menus. If you want to support local farmers, bakers and fishermen (which helps Bermuda reduce our dependence on imports), these are great places to try during your stay!

Truth be told, we soft launched our Sustainability Initiative last year and learned a lot in the process. As we start to work with the Council for Responsible Sport and their certification process, these are the changes we’ve made to our race planning process for 2024:

• We’re working more closely with Keep Bermuda Beautiful, the Corporation of Hamilton, and Recycle Bermuda to develop more efficient waste management plans that (with your help!) will improve the percentage of waste that is diverted to the recycling and compost facilities.
• We listened to your feedback about the amount of plastic used in the awards handed out in 2023, so this year we’re trying something new and purchased awards from a 100% sustainable, renewable source, while also supporting a small business. We can’t wait until you see them!
• We also heard your concerns about the amount of single use plastic being used along the race courses. As many of you know, this is an ongoing conversation with many major running events and we are actively listening to how other races are making changes in this area. This is particularly difficult for our race as Bermuda doesn’t recycle plastic. However, here is how we’re reducing single use plastics for 2024:
  • Our sponsor Butterfield & Vallis has worked hard to ensure the paper cups used at the water stops are lined with wax, not plastic, which means they can be composted. These cups will be placed by our volunteers in separate bags to be trucked to the local compost facility.
  • Butterfield & Vallis has also sourced water in larger bottles, which means less plastic will be used overall.
  • Goslings will be offering re-usable souvenir cups for participants to enjoy their rum-based cocktails in during the Finish Festivals on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Bermuda Craft Brewery will be offering their craft beers in aluminum cans during the Finish Festivals on Saturday and Sunday.
• For 2024, Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge participant t-shirts, volunteer t-shirts and 1/4-zip long sleeve shirts (for sale) were all sourced from Scimitar and are made from recycled sustainable fabric. We’re proud to partner with Scimitar, as they also embrace sustainability practices throughout their corporate value chain.

You know our work doesn’t end when you cross the finish line!

• A big part of our Sustainability Initiative is a “legacy project” that we’ve started with the support of Aspen Bermuda Limited in partnership with the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS). In December 2021, BZS launched their Micro Forest Project modeled on work conducted by renowned Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. His method is now used around the world to grow urban forests that promote native biodiversity and the creation of valuable carbon sinks. In 2024, a new Micro Forest location will be debuted along the PwC Bermuda Marathon route. This community initiative, in addition to being a part of the BZS Micro Forest Project, will also provide an opportunity for Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge participants and volunteers to give back to the local community by helping to clear, reforest and maintain the plot.
• Speaking of volunteers, we’ve also worked with MEF, the company who caters the welcome reception and our post-race Volunteer Appreciation Party, to provide eco-friendly plates, cups and cutlery at both events.
• And, finally, when you receive your Chubb Bermuda Triangle Challenge post-race survey, there will be a question about how we did in our sustainability efforts and in what area(s) you think we can improve. Please provide feedback that we can use for next year!