1.8M+ single-use cups diverted from landfills.

The Problem

Event & sports venues generate excessive single-use waste from concessions. The Portland Trail Blazers have for a long time led the charge for a greener NBA. Faced with external changes to local waste management, impending net zero guidelines from the NBA, and increased pressure from fans to reduce the environmental impacts of game days, they needed a solution to reduce waste in the arena.

The Bold Solution

The Portland Trail Blazers and their concessionaire partner, Levy Restaurants, selected Bold Reuse to spearhead the Rip City Reuse program. This first-of-its-kind initiative involved the introduction of reusable foodware at Moda Center’s Club Level concession stands, setting a new standard for the industry. Following the success of the reusable foodware pilot, the Trail Blazers and Bold Reuse launched the first-of-its-kind stadium-wide reusable cup program for alcoholic beverages, laying the foundation for reuse at sports venues.

To kick off the program, the Trail Blazers:

• Integrated reuse into their larger vision: ”To blaze trails toward winning championships on and off the court.”

• Identified internal champions and collaborated with key stakeholders.

• Developed a cost/impact analysis to gain leadership buy-in.

• Launched a pilot program to test feasibility and scale potential.

• Partnered closely with Bold Reuse to refine logistics and operations.

• Scaling Up for Success

Following a successful pilot, the Trail Blazers expanded to a full-scale reuse program with Bold Reuse, setting a new standard for sustainability in sports.

How they did it:

• Find a product that meets the standards for the arena and reuse 

• Design and procure product with Bold Reuse support

• Prepare your stadium for full-scale launch (communications, collection bins, staff training, etc.)

• Worked closely with Bold Reuse to develop a logistics plan 

• Launch and track the program and gather feedback throughout the season

• Training refreshes and audits throughout the season.

Through this strategic approach, the Portland Trail Blazers and Bold Reuse have created a replicable model for reuse in sports and entertainment venues.

The Impact:

• 1.8M+ single-use cups eliminated over 3 years

• 85.8K+ pounds of waste diverted from landfills

• 770K+single-use cups avoided in a season

• 82% average return rate

Lessons Learned:

• Integrated return bins with clear signage alongside other waste streams are extremely effective. Retrofitting our four-stream GreenDrop bins to capture reuse also allowed for cost savings as purchasing brand new bins can require a lot of capital.

• On average, only 8% of total cups returned are put in the wrong bins and captured later in the hand sorting at the end of the night. This is without staff or volunteers at the bins directing fans on what to do. 

• Cup breakage and retirement contributed minimally (less than 0.01%) to the leakage rate throughout the season.

• It takes a village! Buy-in and accountability for the program are needed at all levels, from leadership to part-time staff. 

Tagged reuse for sports