Co-op Live: Manchester's new arena to use reusable cups when it opens in April
The venue aims to be one of Europe's most sustainable arenas
Audiences heading to Manchester's brand new music venue will get their drinks in reusable cups, as part of efforts to be one of Europe's most sustainable arenas.
Co-op Live, which will be the UK's largest music-first entertainment venue, has teamed up with Event Cup Solutions which will be the official supplier of reusable cups to the site when it opens its doors in April.
The company will provide the arena with unbranded, reusable cups through the ONE Planet ONE Chance® Reusable Cup System. This rental-based scheme uses generically branded cups that can be reused multiple times across numerous sites.
Co-op Live will feature designated collection points around the venue where visitors can return their reusable cups which will be taken off-site to be washed and repacked at Event Cup Solutions’ new, state-of-the-art wash centre. Set to be launched in April, and located just eight miles from Co-op Live, this facility has the capacity to wash, dry and repack in excess of 50 million cups each year.
Venue bosses hope the centre's close proximity to the venue will help keep carbon emissions low, as well as be a boost to the local economy through job creation.
Co-op Live said it made the decision to select reusable cups for the venue following a recent industry report by LIV, Hope Solutions and Julie's Bicycle, which demonstrated that when used more than three times, reusable cups have a lower environmental impact than single-use cups. When used 75 times, reusable cups create 87% less emissions than 75 single-use cups.
The arena said it was also taking other steps to make sure the venue is as sustainable as possible, including locally sourcing construction materials, installing air source heat pumps, solar panels and rainwater recycling. The arena will also be zero waste to landfill.
Gary Roden, Executive Director and General Manager, Co-op Live, said: “By having sustainability at the core of what we do, Co-op Live is setting a new example to arenas around the world. Alongside our other climate-focused features, using recyclable cups is a simple and obvious way to significantly reduce our waste. Partnering with Event Cup Solutions sees us working with one the most innovative, climate certified and forward-looking companies in the industry who will play a massive role in helping us achieve our sustainability objectives.”
John Reeves, Director of Event Cup Solutions, said: “We are incredibly proud to be working with Co-op Live to bring this unique venue to fruition. Since we launched in 2019, we have been committed to educating visitors at a host of UK venues about the environmental benefits of reuse and are thrilled that we will be playing an integral part in helping Co-op Live achieve its sustainability goals. Over the past four years we have operated within many music venues, sports stadia, and festival sites to encourage visitors to return our sustainable ONE Planet ONE Chance® reusable cups to convenient collection points located throughout the venues. We measure our success on cup retention and helping venues minimise their emissions and boost their green credentials.”
Co-op Live, a joint venture between Oak View Group and City Football Group, will be the UK's biggest arena when it opens in east Manchester in April.