Crypto.com Arena gains national attention for eliminating single-use waste with r.World.
When Depeche Mode took the stage at Cryto.com Arena in December, their fans were enjoying beverages out of reusable r.Cups.
At the end of the evening, instead of being thrown away, the r.Cups were collected, sanitized, and reused again the next night—a process that can continue night after night, keeping thousands of single-use plastic cups from ending up in dumpsters, landfills, and the environment around Los Angeles.
“Depeche Mode says NO to single-use plastics in Los Angeles”
Side-Line Magazine
Billboard Magazine covered the decision to implement r.Cups at Crypto.com Arena for a new waste diversion initiative. The pilot’s launch date was inspired by Depeche Mode’s “long-running commitment to environmental and sustainability initiatives”.
In a story by Hollywood Reporter, Lee Zeidman, the arena’s president, was quoted as saying: “We were inspired by the artist’s passion for eco-conscious initiatives and felt this was a fantastic opportunity…”
“Our aim is to ignite a wave of positive change and rally our audience and partners to actively participate in shaping a more eco-conscious future.”
Lee Zeidman, president of Crypto.com Arena
AEG has implemented r.World’s reusable cup program at many other venues and events across the country, including at Goldenvoice’s Cali Vibes festival in Long Beach, California.
“We believe that there’s going to be less labor needed in terms of cleanup and the cleanup crew, and we believe we’re going to have lower waste disposal fees,” Zeidman said. “We also believe that people will embrace this opportunity to keep single plastic waste out of the stream and perhaps buy more beers or Cokes.”
Hundreds of arenas, sports stadiums, and music venues across the U.S. are already seeing how easy it is to eliminate single-use waste and reduce their carbon footprint with r.World.
“We’re excited to work with Crypto.com Arena,” Michael Martin, r.World’s founder and CEO told Billboard. “As one of the busiest venues in the world, the positive environmental impact potential of reuse is massive.”
“Crypto.com Arena has led the industry and operated in the most environmentally innovative ways since opening in 1999, and so it’s no surprise they’re launching the pilot reuse program in the LA market and ultimately, driving change across the live events industry.”
Michael Martin, founder and CEO of r.World
As Billboard reported, the r.World program “could help divert hundreds of thousands of single-use cups out of local landfills and eventually serve as a staple sustainability initiative at the AEG-owned facility, which is widely recognized as a leader in the live entertainment business’ efforts toward long-term sustainability.”
