Making Your Gym Sustainable: 90 Day Action Plan

Do you want a more eco-responsible gym, without draining your cash flow? Here is a 90-day action plan, quantified and prioritized, to reduce your costs while improving the customer experience. Each step includes simple actions, metrics to follow and concrete levers to mobilize your team and your members.

To manage these actions and engage your customers on a daily basis, centralize your reservations, payments and messages on EKKLO: info.ekklo.com.

1) Take stock of the situation: measure, prioritize, commit

Measure your key uses

• Energy: record kWh/day (lighting, HVAC, cardio).
• Water: showers, taps, toilets (liters/day).
• Waste: bags/week by flow (plastic, paper, OM, glass).
• Purchases: disposable vs. reusable consumables, cleaning products.

Tip: a 14-day statement is enough to identify 80% of savings opportunities.

Choose 3 priority indicators

• Monthly energy cost per m²
• Liters of water/shower
• Course occupancy rate during off-peak hours

Aim for -15% energy, -25% water and -50% plastic in 90 days.

Set 30/60/90 day goals

• D+30 : LED lighting and detectors, foamers, visible sorting.
• D+60: temperature instructions, fountains, waste take-back contracts.
• D+90: dashboards, member challenges, sustainable purchasing policy.

Involve your team and your customers

• Appoint an “impact” representative by site.
• Communicate the results every week on your coaching and display app.
• Reward the economical ideas shared by the coaches.

Want to move quickly on the process side? Automate your reminders and recurring tasks: automate your sports coach business.

2) Energy: lighting, heating/air conditioning, ventilation

Replace and manage lighting

• LED everywhere: -50 to -70% vs fluorescents.
• Presence detectors in corridors/sanitary facilities.
• Make use of daylight (well-placed mirrors, light areas).

Typical ROI: a 250 m² floor goes from 10 kWh/h to 4 kWh/h, saving ~120 €/month.

Heating/Air conditioning: instructions and maintenance

• Instructions: winter 19-20 °C, summer 25-26 °C (+ local fans).
• Maintain filters and sealing: up to 10% savings.
• Program “eco” periods during off-peak hours.

Ventilation controlled by CO₂

• CO₂ sensors (objective < 1000 ppm) to adjust air renewal.
• Less over-ventilation, better perceived air quality.

Local production (if possible)

• Solar self-consumption on the roof: covers 10-30% of daytime needs.
• Prioritize uses during the day (classes, cardio) to maximize self-consumption.

3) Water and hygiene: showers, taps, laundry

Reduce the flow without degrading comfort

• Showers 6-8 l/min (vs. 12-15): -40% water and -40% energy to heat it.
• Aerators 5-6 l/min on taps.
• Flushers of dual flow water 3/6 l.

Optimize laundry

• Wash at 30°C with eco cycles; high spin for faster drying.
• Reusable microfibers: less detergent and water.
• Group washes to avoid half loads.

“Eco” nudges on the members’ side

• Discreet display in changing rooms: “Showers 4 min” and “Tap = 6 l/min”.
• Pre/post session reminders via your app: messages scheduled from info.ekklo.com.

Example: 100 showers/day x 5 min x 8 l/min = 4,000 l/day. At 6 l/min and 4 min: 2,400 l/day (-40%).

4) Equipment, purchases and circularity

Priorize sustainable materials

• PVC-free mats, cork/natural rubber, recycled floors.
• Cast iron/steel dumbbells and discs durable and repairable.

Think reconditioned and repair

• Cardio reconditioned by OEM or specialized service provider: -30 to -50% impact and cost.
• Stock some wearing parts (belts, pedals) to extend the lifespan.

Maintenance products certified

• Eco-labeled cleaners, bulk refill.
• Reusable washable wipes rather than disposable.

Replace disposable with reusable

• Ban the sale of plastic bottles; offer branded water bottles + fountains.
• Bulk nutrition (bars, nuts) with clips and washable containers.

Middle of article: to take advantage of tech on the coaching side and limit paper/displays, read: use technology to optimize your sessions.

5) Waste and plastic: sorting that really works

Make sorting visible and intuitive

• Sorting bins in passage areas, at eye level, clear pictograms.
• Consistent colors everywhere; no more than 3 visible flows per zone.

Secure the outlets

• Contracts with buyers (cardboard, plastic, metal); fixed schedule.
• Weigh each flow one day/month; display progress (+% recycled).

Stop plastic bottles

• Free fountains + fresh water, reusable cups or water bottles.
• Offer 5% discount on the water bottle to any new subscriber for the first month.

Measure to improve

• Indicator: kg of waste/member/month. Aim for -30% in 3 months.

6) Mobility, community and marketing without greenwashing

Facilitate active mobility

• Secure bike parking, self-service pump.
• Partnerships with local bike workshops for service at reduced prices.

Incentivize without constraining

• Carpooling between members via dedicated group; premium place reserved for 3+ cars.
• Rewards: 1 free drink/10 trips by bike.

Member programs “carbon challenges”

• Monthly challenge: “20 cycling/walking sessions”; badge and ranking in the app.
• Weekly story with km avoided and CO₂ saved (source ADEME or equivalent).

Communicate with evidence

• Display 3 key figures (kWh, liters, kg) with update date.
• Avoid vague formulas; favor measurable and dated results.

To orchestrate these actions, centralize communication and reservations on info.ekklo.com.

7) Digitalization and processes: less paper, more impact

Dematerialize payments and receipts

• 100% digital payments and receipts: zero receipts, instant tracking.
• Subscription contracts signed online, secure archiving.

Smooth out traffic peaks

• Open slots during off-peak hours and provide incentives via low rates.
• Less overheating/air conditioning; better comfort and filling rate.

Automate “eco” instructions

• Pre-session messages: “bring your water bottle”, “4 min shower”.
• Post-session messages: “sorting at the exit”, “next class during off-peak hours”.

Control by the figures

• Monthly dashboards (kWh/m², l/shower, kg waste, filling rate).
• 30 min team review to adjust action plan.

Want a more global guide to structure your offer and your visibility while remaining sober? See: how to develop as a sports coach.

To remember

• Start with 3 indicators and a plan 30/60/90 days.
• LED + temperature settings = big immediate gains.
• 6-8 l/min showers and water fountains reduce costs and plastic.
• Sorting works if it is visible, simple and measured.
• Digitalize payments, messages and reservations to anchor good reflexes.

Conclusion: take action, measure, celebrate

The transition of a gym to a sustainable model is not a “CSR option”, it is a business lever. You lower your costs, improve comfort, strengthen loyalty and attract customers sensitive to your environmental impact.

Start today: set your 3 indicators, set up LED + foamers, create your automatic messages. To centralize reservations, payments and customer communication, discover EKKLO: info.ekklo.com. And to integrate this approach into your growth, follow our guide: develop with a clear strategy.

Need additional inspiration to attract your first members with a responsible value proposition? Read also: create attractive offers and packages.