In collaboration with PepsiCo, the San Francisco 49ers have implemented reusable cups at Levi’s Stadium which fans can return to designated bins to be collected, sanitized and re-distributed for reuse.
The initiative marks PepsiCo’s first reusable cup project with an NFL franchise, launched during the team’s first pre-season game in the United Club and Graton Winners Club, which seat up to 6,500 fans combined. With 10 49ers games due to be hosted at Levi’s Stadium this season, the program is projected to eliminate the need for ‘tens of thousands’ of disposable single-use cups.
Bold Reuse is managing the collection, sanitization and redistribution of cups in partnership with Levy, the stadium’s hospitality provider.
“Advancing reuse requires collaboration and a systemic shift to help make the reusable option the most convenient and accessible option for consumers to enjoy their beverage,” said Burgess Davis, chief sustainability officer at PepsiCo North America. “Initiatives like this can provide important insights into how that shift can become a reality at scale while having an immediate impact in reducing waste.”
In related news, TOMRA, Associação da Hotelaria, Restauração e Similares de Portugal (AHRESP), and city officials in Lisbon have implemented a city-wide reusable cup system with a local deposit-return model, with TOMRA-operated return points in operation at two kiosks in Praça de São Paulo and Praça do Príncipe Real since 27th June. Consumers can purchase drinks in reusable cups for a €0.60 deposit, which is fully refunded when the cups are returned to one of the TOMRA collection machines throughout the city.
The use of reusable cups at events was recently remarked on by Dominique Huret, journalist at Cape Decision, who explained how the Tomorrowland festival combines sustainability and technology in a ‘record-breaking’ summer of unity and music. In partnership with Belgian companies deSter, Aucxis, CupNation, and Weezevent, the festival replaced all single-use drinkware with semi-transparent smart cups, each carrying an embedded RFID chip linked to the festival’s cashless system.
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