[WORLD NEWS] Reusable cups mandatory in stadiums

The new requirements from the Packaging Act have been in force since January 1, 2023 in Germany. They oblige companies such as restaurants, canteens, supermarkets or cafes that sell takeaway food and drinks to also offer their products in reusable packaging. 

Big changes are also taking place in German soccer stadiums. Beer served in disposable cups, french fries served on plastic plates. Such images may become a thing of the past at German football stadiums.

Until now, more than 8.5 million plastic cups have become a mountain of waste every year in the Premier League. With the amendment of the law, stadium food and beverage vendors are now required by law to provide reusable cups at the same price as disposable cups.

However, the law currently applies only to beverages, and for food, disposable containers can continue to be offered as an option, as long as they are made of cardboard, wood, or aluminum. Currently, most stadiums offer paper plates and wooden cutlery.

The German Football League Association (DFL) plans to make ecological as well as economic and social sustainability criteria a mandatory part of the licensing process, with the goal of becoming the most sustainable league in the world.

Some clubs in the Bundesliga have already been working on environmental protection for a long time. For example, FC St. Pauli, SC Freiburg, and Werder Bremen are three good examples.

SC Freiburg, for example, has one of the world's largest solar roofs on its stadium, uses green power, and has been using returnable cups for years.

Werder Bremen is an exemplary company when it comes to sustainable mobility. The public transport connection is exemplary, and there is also an infrastructure for thousands of bicycles that can be parked at the stadium not to mention a good network of footpaths.

FC St. Pauli chooses its partners according to ecological and social criteria.

Some stadiums in Japan are starting to use reusable cups, which is the least we can do. It would definitely be a very good step to continue eliminating unnecessary disposable waste every week by switching to reusable food containers at stadiums.  Kudos to the German league!

Source : Deutsche Welle