PepsiCo-UEFA zero-waste-to-landfill steps

Article posted by Coliseum, May 25^th, 2023

Image: Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Валерий Дед, CC BY 3.0

Food company PepsiCo, in partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), is aiming to find ‘innovative’ ways to achieve the goal of making the UEFA Champions League Finals zero waste to landfill by 2026, through the power of its brands, Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos, and Gatorade.

‘interplas insights’ stated that at the Women’s UCL Final to be held at the PSV Stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands, on June 3^rd, and at the UCL Final at Istanbul’s (Turkey) Atatürk Olympic Stadium to be held on June 10^th, PepsiCo and UEFA are implementing circular economy practises centered around the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), to minimize the impact of football on the environment and drive resource efficiencies.

PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York (US), in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo’s business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of its products.

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Nyon (Switzerland)-based the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs football, futsal and beach football in Europe and the transcontinental countries of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, as well as some Asian countries such as Israel, Cyprus and Armenia. The UEFA consists of 55 national association members. Because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the FIFA and UEFA suspended all Russian national teams and clubs from any FIFA and UEFA competitions.

The UEFA Champions League is UEFA’s elite club competition with top clubs across the continent playing for the right to be crowned European champions. The tournament, then called the European Cup, began in 1955-1956 with 16 sides taking part.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League, previously called the UEFA Women’s Cup (2001-2009), is a European women’s association football competition. It involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA.

The Philips Stadium is a football stadium in Eindhoven, Netherlands. As the home of the Dutch sports club PSV Eindhoven, it is therefore also known as the PSV Stadium. With a capacity of 36,500, it is the third-largest football stadium in the country.

The 76,092-capacity Atatürk Olympic Stadium is a stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Located in the Western district of İkitelli, it is the largest-capacity stadium in the country. The stadium is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey.

Reduce

‘interplas insights’ further stated that the fully recyclable, zero plastic and biodegradable fiber cups at the UCL Final will significantly reduce single-use plastic. PepsiCo is also taking measures to implement carbon neutrality via recycling efforts, carbon offsets and sustainable clothing.

Reuse

PepsiCo claims that reuse solutions at this year’s UEFA Women’s Champions League Final will be the first to implement returnable packaging for food and drinks. Fans can purchase drinks from 52,000 0.40L transparent cups, with a returnable deposit of 2 Euros. Along with cups, Doritos Nachos will be served in returnable trays throughout the stadium. Likewise, in Istanbul, PepsiCo is partnering with TURN, the world’s leading scalable reuse system that capitalizes on smart technology to rid the planet of single-use plastic, to house 48,000 TURN smart cups and bin operations at the Champion’s Festival sampling stands.

Recycle

PepsiCo claims that all food and beverage packaging supplied at events throughout the Finals will be 100 percent recyclable. Additionally, Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium will include 220 recycling bins for diligent waste sorting post-event.

Observed Archana Jagannathan, Chief Sustainability Officer Europe at PepsiCo, “As one of the world’s most respected food and beverage companies, PepsiCo is continuously aiming to use its reach and influence to change the way society makes, uses and disposes of packaging. We are honored to play a key role in both the men’s and women’s UEFA Champion’s League Finals. It is a privilege to use football as a vehicle to drive positive change on and off the pitch, whilst still providing fans with an unforgettable experience.”

Maintained Michele Uva, UEFA Social and Environmental Sustainability Director, “The UEFA is delighted to continue the collaboration with PepsiCo to deploy circular economy practises across these two important Finals. Our actions are focused on finding and disseminating solutions applicable to football matches taking place across national associations, leagues and clubs in Europe to play our part in tackling environmental challenges.”

Community Impact

Along with the circular economy efforts at the UEFA finals, PepsiCo is supporting community impact through Gatorade’s 5v5 global tournaments and Lay’s Replay, a global initiative created in partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children, which creates football pitches using empty crisp packets.

PepsiCo is aiming to drive its latest Lay’s Replay initiative in Turkey by unveiling a new pitch ahead of the finals. From the materials to the installation, the pitches are designed to minimize impact on the environment. For example, the turf and shock pad layers are 100 percent recyclable at the end of their lifespan.

Concluded Mark Kirkham, Senior Vice-President (SVP) and Chief Marketing Officer, Global Beverages at PepsiCo, “Our partnership with UEFA and the work we are doing provides an incredible opportunity to elevate the conversation around recycling and create sustainable changes. We are excited about the future and look forward to a strong partnership with the UEFA as they work towards the ultimate goal of having all UCL finals be zero waste to landfill by 2026.”

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