Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo, Bold Reuse and the San Francisco 49ers have teamed up to bring reusable cups to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, this football season.
- The partners launched the cups in special club areas of the stadium at a preseason game on Aug. 9. They estimate the program will “eliminate the need for tens of thousands of disposable single-use cups” during the 49ers’ 10 home games this season, according to an announcement last week.
- It’s PepsiCo’s first reusable cup project with a National Football League franchise, according to the announcement, and comes after the CPG sunset its formal packaging reuse target earlier this year.
Dive Insight:
“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,” Burgess Davis, chief sustainability officer for PepsiCo North America, said in the 49ers’ announcement.
Previously, PepsiCo stated that it aimed to deliver 20% of all beverage servings sold via reusable models by 2030. The company reported having sold 10% of beverage servings in reusable models in 2023. Now, reuse falls under an umbrella target for PepsiCo to have 97% of its primary and secondary packaging in key markets be either recyclable, compostable or reusable.
“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,” Davis continued.
Also in California, PepsiCo previously participated in Closed Loop Partners’ monthslong community-scale reusable cup trial in the city of Petaluma. In the wake of that project, CLP’s Center for the Circular Economy last week announced the upcoming Reuse Cities Initiative, which will aim to “further scale reuse in California, building on the Center's successful reuse pilots in cities across the U.S., including Denver, Tucson and Petaluma.”
“In 2026, reusables for foodservice packaging and beyond will be offered by major brands, supported by regional reverse logistics infrastructure and a citywide consumer campaign in California,” CLP announced, calling this “its largest multi-retailer reuse activations yet.”
According to Bold Reuse’s CEO Jocelyn Quarrell, this also marks Bold Reuse’s first implementation in California.
Bold Reuse has numerous other programs with professional sports teams across the U.S. The operator expanded to the East Coast earlier this year at the Spectrum Center, home to the National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Hornets.
In another new development this year, Bold Reuse partnered with Avery Dennison to pilot RFID to better track the cycle of reusable cups, “from distribution and return to wash cycles and end-of-life,” in Portland, Oregon, where Bold Reuse services the city’s professional soccer and basketball venues.
Bold Reuse also collaborates with other beverage companies and NFL teams. For instance, Bold Reuse has partnered with Keurig Dr Pepper to scale reusable cups for the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, also at the club level.
