Reuse on the Rise: How European Stadiums Are Redefining Sustainability

Across Europe, the roar of crowds in stadiums is no longer only matched by the cheers of fans—it’s increasingly accompanied by a quieter revolution: the shift from single-use to reusable systems in stadium venues. As thousands of spectators gather for sporting events, concerts and festivals, the pressure to reduce waste, minimise environmental impacts, and implement circular economy solutions has never been greater. In this blog post we’ll explore why stadiums are perfect candidates for reuse systems, highlight several European initiatives, sketch out key challenges and opportunities—and reflect on what the future might hold.

Why Stadiums Make Sense for Reuse

Stadiums are unique venues: high footfall, predictable patterns, concentrated refreshment services, and built-in infrastructure for large-scale operations. These characteristics make them especially suitable for implementing circular systems. For instance:

• A typical stadium hosting, say, 300 events per year—and using millions of single-use cups—can generate tremendous volumes of waste. According to the study by Upstream, a stadium of that size might use 5.4 million single-use cups annually, equating to ~63.75 tons of plastic waste. Upstream
• Reusable cups (for example made of polypropylene, reused 300 times) can cut that waste load dramatically—“less than one ton of waste” in the same usage scenario. Upstream
• Stadiums also present logistical advantages: defined entrance/exit points, centralised refreshment counters, and opportunities for collection and return. Systems can be designed to integrate with existing ticketing, concessions and service flows.

Beyond waste reduction, reuse systems offer benefits to venue operators and brands:

• Reduced cost of procuring single-use items (over time)
• Lower waste management costs (less litter, lower disposal volumes)
• Brandisation and merchandise opportunities (custom reusable cups become souvenirs)
• Positive reputational impact: fans increasingly expect sustainability from venues

Europe has taken a particularly strong lead in this area. According to recent coverage, many European governments and businesses are deploying technology to make returns of reusable cups easier—offering financial incentives and even fines for non-returners. Convenience+1

European Case Studies & Practices

Reusable Cup Schemes at Major Events

Several large European sporting events have piloted reusable cup systems. For example, the UEFA Champions League Finals in Europe included reuse systems for cups and trays, in partnership with major brands (e.g., PepsiCo) and reuse service providers. Sustainable Brands

Similarly, according to the good practice case study by Interreg Europe, reuse cup systems are already fairly widespread in large sport and cultural events across Europe, and have shown significant potential to reduce plastic waste. interregeurope.eu

Clubs Leading the Charge

In the UK, for instance, Arsenal F.C. implemented a reusable-cup scheme that reportedly prevented 500,000 single-use plastic cups from being discarded within a short period of implementation. friendsoftheearth.uk

Dedicated Reuse Solution Providers

There are companies specialised in offering reuse systems to stadiums and venues. For example:

• Ecocup and the company Re‑uz provide reusable cups designed for stadiums—lightweight, durable, washable hundreds of times, adaptable to different capacities up to 90 cl. Re-uz
• Another example: VYTA L offers an “all-in-one” reuse container system for stadiums & venues, including logistics, delivery, return, washing and tracking technology. vytal.org

Innovation: Self-Destructing Cups

An interesting emerging trend: “self-destructing” cups—cups that when discarded improperly will degrade or return to usable materials thanks to embedded technology. According to one report, UK venues such as Twickenham Stadium (rugby) were early adopters of such technology. Sports Venue Business (SVB)

The Challenges That Come with Reuse

While reuse systems hold great promise, they are by no means plug-and-play. Some of the key challenges include:

1. Loss rates / souvenir uptake / damage Many reusable items end up taken home as keepsakes by fans, lost, broken, or not returned. As one article notes: “Reusable cups are currently made from the same virgin plastic … the reusable cups use even more material … they often fail to meet this target [of reuse] as cups are broken, lost, or taken home by consumers.” innovatorsmag.com Designing for durability and accounting for realistic loss rates is essential for a sound business case.
2. Initial investment & system logistics Switching to reuse implies investment in washing infrastructure (or outsourcing to a cleaning partner), collection/return logistics (bins, kiosks, re-issue system), tracking and possibly deposit systems, and staff training. Some venues may have constrained margins.
3. Behaviour change & fan cooperation For a reuse system to work, spectators must return cups rather than drop them as litter. Incentives (monetary, ease of return, deposit refund) and clear signage matter. In Europe, return technology and deposits are increasingly being used. Convenience+1
4. Lifecycle and circularity integrity It’s essential that reusable items are indeed reused many times (ideally hundreds) and then recycled—otherwise the carbon/waste benefits can be eroded. According to Upstream’s life-cycle analysis, the impact of transportation and washing is small in comparison with the savings achieved when reuse is done at scale. Upstream
5. Scalability & standardisation Stadiums vary widely in size and usage patterns. A system that works for a 10,000-capacity venue may not directly scale to a 60,000-capacity stadium. Standardised capacities, sizes, cup designs, and return mechanisms help.

Why European Stadiums Are Especially Well Positioned

Several factors make European stadiums particularly receptive to reuse systems:

• Regulatory push: European governments and the European Union have stronger policies on single-use plastics and packaging. For example, businesses are being required to offer reusable containers by certain deadlines. The Wall Street Journal
• Fan awareness & sustainability expectation: Many European football clubs and venues already have sustainability programmes, and fans increasingly expect environmentally-responsible practices.
• Event frequency and high-capacity venues: With top-tier stadiums regularly filled, the volume of single-use waste is enormous and the benefit of reuse is large.
• Existing partnerships and innovation capacity: European reuse-service providers (like Ecocup, Vytal) have matured product and logistics solutions tailored for stadiums.
• Cultural momentum: Reuse systems have been trialled at major European events, generating data, understanding and media coverage, which helps other venues adopt the model more confidently.

What Best Practice Looks Like

When a stadium operator wants to adopt a reuse system, some of the elements that emerge from the European best practice include:

• Cup design & robustness: Use materials (e.g. polypropylene) that are durable and dishwasher-safe to achieve hundreds of uses.
• Deposit/return incentive system: For example issue a reusable cup, take a small deposit when poured, refund on return—or use smart tokens or QR scanning to encourage returns.
• Branded designs: Offer custom branded reusable cups (team logo, event logo) so that the cup becomes a keepsake—as long as it’s returned it still gets value.
• Logistics chain: Collection bins at exits, dedicated return stations, bar counters aligned with return – cleaning and sanitising infrastructure on site (or close by) for washing, drying and redistributing.
• Tracking & reporting: Use tracking technology (e.g., RFID or QR) to measure number of uses per cup, loss rate, return rate, waste avoided. This helps measure the business case and communicate ESG impact.
• Behaviour change & signage: Educate fans via signage, announcements, social media to return cups; use graphics/way-finding to make returns easy; possibly provide rewards.
• Parallel waste-management strategy: Recognise that reusable cups are one piece of the sustainability puzzle—venues must also handle food packaging, cutlery, general waste streams.
• Scalable model: Ensure the system is sized for peak events (not just average). High-volume capacity is needed for major stadium events.

The Impact So Far—and The Potential Ahead

To date, the European reuse story is promising:

• Stadiums and events that adopt reusable cup systems have shown substantial waste reductions.
• Reuse systems are increasingly feasible: analysis shows that even with transport and washing, reuse “wins” in environmental terms compared to single-use. Upstream+1
• The growth of reuse-service providers means many venues no longer need to build everything in-house; they can partner with experienced vendors.
• The regulatory environment is becoming more favourable to reuse and less tolerant of single-use assumptions.

Looking ahead:

• We may see entire stadium concessions move to reuse not just for cups, but for food trays, cutlery, containers and more—creating closed-loop systems.
• Reuse technologies (smart tracking, deposit systems, digital incentives) will become more sophisticated and user-friendly.
• As fan culture intersects with sustainability, venue operators will increasingly use reuse systems as a branding differentiator: “Sustainability-first stadium” becomes a selling point.
• With major global events (e.g., championships, tournaments) still seeking legacy impact, reuse systems in stadiums can become visible symbols of sustainability.
• Data-driven reporting will allow venue operators to quantify and communicate their positive environmental impact (waste diverted, carbon saved, cost avoided) to sponsors, stakeholders and communities.

Final Thoughts

European stadiums are on the cusp of a transformation—moving from a reliance on single-use plastics to systems designed for reuse, circularity and sustainability. The scale of the challenge is significant (millions of cups, thousands of tonnes of waste), but so too is the opportunity. With strong examples already in place, the logistical infrastructure improving, and fan awareness rising, the reuse model is no longer niche—it is rapidly becoming best practice.

For venue operators, the question is shifting from if to how. How to design the cup and container systems, how to implement the logistics, how to engage fans, how to track and report impact—and how to embed reuse as a core part of stadium operations rather than an optional add-on.

For the fans, the next time you hold a drink in your favourite stadium, you might also hold a small symbol of sustainability: a reusable cup that could outlast dozens of matches—and be washed, sanitised, and back in use. Every sip becomes a small vote for the planet, and for the notion that big events don’t have to mean big waste.

In Europe, the future of stadium hospitality may well be reusable. And not just “environmentally friendly,” but simply normal.