What does it cost to watch a basketball game — not in terms of money, but in terms of carbon dioxide? Waste is among the top three sources of carbon pollution in Charlotte, and sporting events generate a lot of waste.
A single basketball season at the Spectrum Center generates 50 tons of waste and recyclables. The city recently partnered with Bold Reuse to help bring that figure down — one drink at a time.
Bold Reuse CEO Jocelyn Quarrell partnered with the city to bring reusable plastic cups to Spectrum and Ovens Auditorium, both owned by the city. Quarrell said reuse simplifies a convoluted — and often distrusted — recycling system.
“Manufacturers simply slap that arrowed logo on everything regardless of whether it’s recyclable locally or not,” Quarrell said.
If people can reuse the cup, it avoids the internal triaging when deciding whether something is recyclable. The cups — and the return bins — launched this month when the Hornets faced the Washington Wizards.
Quarrell said the first few games have been a “happy surprise”; customers have returned most of the cups without contamination from trash and consumables. While there is some “souvenir cup confusion” — folks walking off with the cups and not returning them — the majority of cups come back.
Charlotte purchased durable polypropylene cups — the same plastic many food containers use. There are few studies on polypropylene microplastic shedding, though Quarrell said one of her customers, semiconductor manufacturer TSMC, independently tested the cups for lab use, and the cups passed.
Once returned to the bins, Bold Reuse washes the cups at a nearby facility.
“We’ve seen that our fans want to do the right thing,” said Ashley Gladney, sustainability program manager for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. “They’re making an effort to get the cups in the spot or, if they’re not sure where it goes, they’re at least leaving it.”
Only bars and suites serve the cups right now. But the city hopes to expand to concession stands — and eventually — other venues.
