Rabobank and ClubHub give sportswear a second life
In the Netherlands, many people are a member of a sports club. Every year, millions of kilos of sportswear and equipment are used and then thrown away. Much of this ends up incinerated or in residual waste. ClubHub wants to change that by collecting old items on a large scale and turning them into new sportswear and equipment. Rabobank is a partner of ClubHub.
Working towards a circular sports world
ClubHub is a collection system for sportswear and equipment, designed specifically for sports clubs. ClubHub aims to make the sports world 100% circular, which means that no raw materials are lost. By building a nationwide network of sports clubs, there is always a collection point nearby. Through partnerships with recycling companies, manufacturers, and sports brands, collected items can be used as raw materials for new, circular sportswear and equipment. This reduces waste, CO₂ emissions and energy consumption, and saves millions of liters of water.
Circular Sports
ClubHub is part of the company Circular Sports. Founders Floris Verheij, Fleur Nijland and Kim Lammers wanted to do more than just talk about sustainability; they wanted to take action. The company started from an idea to make a sports bag from recycled textiles. Through former field hockey player Lammers, they connected with sports clubs and saw how many kilos of sports equipment were being thrown away every year. This inspired them to work with established brands, manufacturers, recycling companies, sponsors, and clubs to build a circular sports world together.
How ClubHub works
Sports clubs can sign up with ClubHub for free. They receive a dedicated collection hub for the clubhouse and a separate roll container where members can deposit worn-out items. ClubHub collects the full containers and sorts the collected items. If possible, items are reused in a sustainable way. Recycling companies process the rest into new raw materials.
Under the label CIRCULR., Circular Sports develops new sportswear and equipment made from these recycled materials, together with sports brands and manufacturers. The new products come with a unique digital product passport linked to the collection points, so that they remain traceable when they’re ready to be recycled again.
Floris Verheij: “Our strength lies in collaboration. Sports clubs, brands, retailers, manufacturers, sponsors, and individual athletes are all involved. Clubs that want to become more sustainable can currently sign up for free as a circular club; other partners join as a Friend of ClubHub to strengthen this network. Hundreds of clubs across the Netherlands are already taking part. Together, we’re laying the foundation for a more sustainable, circular sports world.”
Rabobank’s role
As a cooperative bank, we are glad to contribute to this mission. At Rabobank, we care not only about sports, but about circularity and sustainability too.
Erik Versnel, director of Rabobank Amsterdam: “Rabobank is the bank for club life. That’s why we support sports clubs all over the country. Not only with financial contributions through initiatives like ClubSupport, but also with knowledge and networks for a more sustainable future. This initiative fits our approach well.”
A successful pilot
In 2025, a pilot project was carried out with 200 hockey, football and handball clubs that bank with Rabobank in the Metropoolregio Amsterdam (MRA) and Noord-Holland Noord regions. They were invited to join ClubHub, and 93 clubs signed up. As a reward, they received a Rabobank & CIRCULR. training equipment package with recycled training bibs and cones. The region now has a well-established collection network, and across the country more than 220 sports clubs are now connected to ClubHub.
Expanding the national network together
To reach even more clubs and collect more sporting equipment, Rabobank and ClubHub are strengthening their collaboration. The goal is for another 500 clubs nationwide to join ClubHub starting in the 2026-2027 sports season. Sports clubs that bank with Rabobank and sign up with ClubHub will receive a collection hub and a completely recycled Rabobank & CIRCULR. training equipment package with 300 cones and 80 bibs. Tennis clubs will receive an adapted package with recycled tennis balls from Renewaball. Additionally, every club gets access to a ClubHub impact dashboard, where they can track how many items they’ve collected.
In this way, Rabobank is helping sports clubs across the Netherlands work with ClubHub to build a circular sports world, one with less waste and a second life for materials that would otherwise be lost.