Fans cheering the University of Washington basketball, volleyball and gymnastics teams this season will also be showing their commitment to the Husky’s sustainability and waste reduction initiatives. Beginning with the 2024-25 season, UW will no longer serve in-stadium beverages in single-use plastic cups. Now, fans will be served their beverages in “durable, reusable cups.”
In partnership with PepsiCo, Bold Reuse and Aramark Sports and Entertainment, UW’s reusable cup program at Alaska Airlines Arena seeks to reduce waste by 10% by 2025.
"Washington Athletics is dedicated to fostering environmental stewardship and reducing waste in all athletic facilities," said Karen Baebler, Associate Athletic Director, Sports Operations. "This program allows us to collaborate with our campus and corporate partners and is an important step in creating a more sustainable game-day experience for our fans."
After fans order and drink a beverage at the arena, they can drop them in collection bins by Bold Reuse. The collected cups will then be cleaned and repackaged to be used at the next game or event. It marks the end of thousands of single-use plastic cups being used and discarded every night.
"We are thrilled to partner with the University of Washington on our first-ever evergreen university program," said Jocelyn Quarrell, CEO and co-founder of Bold Reuse. "It's inspiring to see how seriously UW is taking waste reduction, and we're excited about the leadership they are demonstrating in the Big Ten. By implementing a reusable cup program of this scale, UW is setting a new standard for sustainability in collegiate athletics and paving the way for other universities to follow."
UW will be monitoring the cup return rate at basketball, volleyball and gymnastics events to determine the success of the program. If the return rate is deemed acceptable, the program will be extended to other sports and venues.
