THE POWER OF SPORT TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY

51 million cups, most of which are not recycled, are used at sporting events annually in the US. Like other industries with a global reach, sports and entertainment also have a significant environmental footprint that is becoming increasingly important. As tens of millions of fans cheer on their favorite teams at sporting events around the world, impacts arise that include air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and waste generation.

Now this trend is changing, sports and entertainment venues, as well as their teams and players, have the power to improve their impact and influence significant sustainable change on a global scale. Some companies have seen it as a great opportunity to promote actions that benefit the environment and enable a circular economy. Ball Corporation, a leading global supplier of infinitely recyclable aluminum beverage containers, was one of the first to see an opportunity to bring the circularity of beverage packaging to sports and entertainment venues. In fact, 75 percent of the aluminum produced is still in use today, and aluminum cans, cups and bottles can be recycled and back on a store shelf in 60 days.

In 2020, multinational Ball partnered with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) to bring the aluminum cup to Denver, Los Angeles and London showcasing aluminum beverage containers as the more sustainable choice. The cup is also available at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of North Carolina, and expands to other sporting venues and events such as the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Mercedes Benz Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, Raymond James Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium.

Ball was recently recognized in the inaugural Laureus Sport for Good Index for making a positive impact on sports through its partnership with 28 other brands, including Nike, Microsoft and Patagonia.