As a peak industry body, the Australian Sporting Goods Association "serves to lead the industry, with sustainability as a core policy of our operations."

And says executive director Shaun Bajada (pictured), "Many of our members share this sentiment and are actively in support of this vital mission.

"To further our goal of positive social impact, ASGA has formed an industry-led sustainability committee to address the most immediate and important waste-management challenges faced by manufacturers, brands and consumers."

Goals determined by the committee will be achieved through the development of projects that encompass issues and initiatives, including community participation, supply chain management and socially-responsible business practices.

Based on the input of sector stakeholders, the first project for the committee will involve finding solutions to reduce the environmental impacts of sourcing, manufacturing and disposing of Australian sporting goods.

ASGA will hold its first Sustainability Committee meeting on August 7 and outcomes and updates from the meeting will be made available via www.asga.com.au, says Bajada.

Brands currently sitting on the committee include Nike, New Balance, Russell Athletic, Globe and Lululemon.

There has also been a major upgrade to Australian Sporting Goods Market Research, with our insights empowering members to make informed business decisions.

Says Bajada, ASGA Market Intelligence Reports cover key industry data, trends, performance and market size and next month will see members having access to an online dashboard, allowing them to quickly read market trends through snapshots, in addition to the existing detailed information.

Key benefits to the dashboard are:

• Greater flexibility and ease to interrogate the data via page filters;

• Compare your own brand (only) against the total market;

• Export results;

• Quickly roll up quarters to view yearly or half-yearly results; and

• Create custom charts that can be saved and accessed another time.

This member-only resource gives a decisive informational advantage that will answer the market-based questions of chief executives, category managers and marketers, such as market leader in our specific segment; products trending, declining and emerging; how do we compare against our category peers; and what's the size and share of the total market?

• To learn more about Market Research Dashboard and membership contact ASGA Executive Director Shaun Bajada at shaun@asga.com.au.

Example screenshot of ASGA Market Research Dashboard.