Ball-Anheuser ‘pitch’ for sustainability

Article posted by Coliseum, February 9^th, 2022

Image: Ball Corporation

The aerospace company Ball Corporation and brewing company Anheuser-Busch announced a partnership on February 3^rd to bring the infinitely recyclable Ball Aluminum Cup™ to guests at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (US) for the Big Game on February 13^th, 2022. The aluminum cups, which are also available to fans at major events and venues across the country and for purchase online and at mass retailers, are a demonstration of the partners’ commitment to advancing sustainability in the industry.

The ‘Ball Corporation’ stated that Ball, a leading global provider of infinitely recyclable aluminum beverage packaging, designed the lightweight aluminum cups to bring beverage packaging circularity to sports and entertainment venues in response to growing consumer preference for more sustainable products. As the National Football League’s (NFL’s) official beer sponsor and the presenting sponsor of the Super Bowl LVI, Anheuser-Busch is also doing its part by leveraging the reach of its Bud Light brand and sports partnerships to encourage recycling and sustainability behaviors among sports fans and supports the brewer’s ambitious 2025 sustainability goals.

Super Bowl LVI will be the upcoming championship game of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 NFL season. It will be played between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Cincinnati Bengals. The game is scheduled to take place on February 13^th, 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California (US), the home stadium of the Rams, marking the second-consecutive and second overall Super Bowl to feature a team playing in its home stadium.

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The 70,240-capacity SoFi Stadium is a sports and entertainment complex in Inglewood, California, United States. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack, three miles from the Los Angeles International Airport and immediately Southeast of The Forum indoor arena.

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference.

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products for customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the United States Government.

For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities, and packaging plants, and have more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States.

Said Angie Slaughter, Vice-President of Sustainability Procurement at Anheuser-Busch, “At Anheuser-Busch, we are always looking for new ways to use our capabilities and scale to enable a circular economy and help create a future with more cheers. We are committed to having 100 percent of our packaging made from majority recycled content or are returnable by 2025 and through this continued partnership with Ball, we are excited to once again bring a more sustainable packaging solution to sports fans at this year’s Big Game.”

The sustainable aluminum cups will be available to fans in 9-ounce, 20-ounce and 24-ounce versions across multiple locations leading up to and during the Big Game, including at the Halftime Show and the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest. For those celebrating at home, the aluminum cups are also available for purchase on Amazon and in select grocery retailers and mass retailers including Kroger, Target, Walmart, and more.

Said Dan Fisher, President and CEO-elect, Ball Corporation, “With its vast influence and reach, sports and entertainment has the power to be a true vehicle for change. At Ball, we’re committed to partnering with venues, teams and players to make a difference on sustainability by increasing use of infinitely recyclable aluminum beverage packaging, strengthening in-venue recycling and educating fans on how they can live more sustainably. We look forward to teaming up with Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light for the third time to bring fans a more sustainable way to enjoy their favorite beverage at the Big Game.”

The ‘Ball Corporation’ further stated that the aluminum cups’ availability at this year’s game builds on the partnership’s success at the Big Game in 2021 at the 65,890-capacity Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida (US) and at the 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, in 2020 as part of the stadium’s initiative to phase out 99.4 percent of single-use plastics that year. The aluminum cups are helping to drive sustainability at sports and entertainment venues across the country, including at the 20,000-capacity Ball Arena in Denver, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the 70,000-capacity Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the 17,459-capacity Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the 17,250-capacity UBS Arena in New York, the 40,300-capacity Globe Life Field in Texas, and the 63,400-capacity State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

Infinitely recyclable and economically valuable, aluminum is the most sustainable beverage packaging material, and like aluminum cans, aluminum cups can be easily recycled. In fact, 75 percent of the aluminum ever produced is still in use today and aluminum cans, cups and bottles can be recycled and back on a store shelf within 60 days. In addition to its sustainability and recycling strengths, the aluminum cup is lightweight, sturdy, cool to the touch and provides an elevated drinking experience. It also can be customized with logos and graphics, as it will be for the Big Game.

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