This year, Anheuser-Busch is bringing its
sustainability efforts to the Big Game — through another game. For the first
time in Super Bowl history, the beer giant will bring a Cycle reverse vending
machine to State Farm Stadium in
Glendale, Arizona — giving fans the chance to join its ‘National Recycling
League’
(NRL) and win prizes.
A-B created the NRL in 2022 to help reduce waste on game days across multiple
professional sports leagues; Anheuser-Busch is the first company to bring the
Cycle reverse vending machines to both NFL and MLB stadiums. Every
beverage container recycled using the Cycle reverse vending machine will give
fans an instant prize, as well as an opportunity to be entered to win a pair of
tickets to the 2023 NFL regular season. 10 grand prize winners will be announced
by the end of March.
“We approach everything we do at Anheuser-Busch with an innovative mindset so
that we can create an outsized impact for our customers, our communities and
our environment,” said CEO Brendan
Whitworth. “Since the
creation of the National Recycling League last year, we’ve worked together with
our professional league and team partners and sports fans to divert thousands of
pounds of recyclables out of landfills — truly working towards a shared dream of
a future with less game-day waste and more cheers.”
The NRL was created to bring visibility to the importance of recycling whenever
and wherever fans cheer on their favorite team – whether it’s in-stadium, at
home, or at their local neighborhood bar. The league is currently made up of
teams from the MLB and NFL, with more professional sports leagues coming on
board later this year. 10 NFL teams — this year’s Super Bowl contenders, the
Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles; along with the Denver
Broncos, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets,
Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and
Seattle Seahawks — worked with Anheuser-Busch on recycling and
waste-reducing programs during 2022-2023 season.
Each team committed to implementing a range of new, innovative National
Recycling League activations at stadiums to help divert recyclable items such as
beer bottles and cans from landfills. Activations included offering infinitely
recyclable aluminum
cups
to fans instead of single-use plastic, in-seat recycling decals, and in-stadium
signage sharing a simple call-to-action to fans: ‘Recycle Like a Champion.’
“We were excited to partner with the National Recycling League to pilot a
recycling awareness program for our fans that was unique to Lumen Field,”
said Christy Briggs, Logistics
and Sustainability Manager for the Seattle Seahawks. “We have prioritized waste
prevention and reduction as a long-standing initiative; and this Seahawks
season, over 121 tons of recycled materials were diverted from Lumen Field by
in-stadium collections. That’s a number we’re proud of and know will help create
a better and more sustainable future for our community.”
And, like the ubiquitous beer hawker at sports stadiums, Recycling
Hawkers were also deployed in
stadiums and at tailgates to collect used cups, cans and bottles from fans to
ensure they are recycled properly. Recycling Hawker volunteers from Keep
America Beautiful® encourage fans to hand over their recyclables so that those
items can be sorted from the trash and recycled.
“Keep America Beautiful is proud to be a longstanding partner of Anheuser-Busch;
and we are thrilled to be a part of the action and activity to improve
communities by reducing waste in sports stadiums across the country,” said Keep
America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer
Lawson. “Our volunteers are there
to make it easier for fans to recycle properly and we're excited to be a part of
this impactful movement for many seasons to come.”
Looking ahead to 2023, Anheuser-Busch plans to work alongside established NRL
teams to make a bigger impact, as well as enlist other professional teams and
leagues to participate in the National Recycling League in the years to come.
The NRL builds on Anheuser-Busch's ongoing commitment to sustainable packaging
and recycling — including through its 2025 Sustainability Goals and as a member
of the Green Sports
Alliance.
By 2025, Anheuser-Busch has committed that 100 percent of its packaging will be
made from majority recycled content or will be returnable, which will make
recycling A-B products on game day easier than ever.
"The Green Sports Alliance is inspired by Anheuser-Busch’s 2025 Sustainability
goals and its National Recycling League program to engage and motivate millions
of fans to help improve recycling rates in stadiums across the nation through
the power of sports,” said Roger
McClendon, Executive Director of
the Green Sports Alliance. “We are proud to recognize the National Recycling
League as a Sports Greening Movement Partner and excited to see examples of
recycling leadership initiatives and technology at the 2023 Super Bowl."
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Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Feb 10, 2023 10am EST / 7am PST / 3pm GMT / 4pm CET