All posts

Climate Pledge Arena: Launching a Successful Reuse Program from Day One

Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Seattle Kraken (NHL) and Seattle Storm (WNBA), is one of the world's most sustainable sports and entertainment venues, the first arena in the world to achieve ILFI Zero Carbon certification, True Zero Waste Platinum certification, and home to an all-electric kitchen with zero single-use plastics sold anywhere on site. Partnering with Bold Reuse, Climate Pledge Arena launched a venue-wide reusable cup program that debuted in October 2025 at a Seattle Storm game, in every bar and marketplace.

Problem

Climate Pledge Arena had already eliminated single-use plastics venue-wide, moving to recyclable aluminum cups. It was a meaningful step, but recycling still creates waste after the fact rather than stopping it at the source. Recycling and composting remain important parts of the arena's waste strategy, but the sustainability and operations team saw an opportunity to go further with reuse, which is the strongest option across every environmental measure.

The case didn't need to be built from scratch — CPA's identity is already grounded in sustainability leadership — but the team needed a partner who could bring proven reuse infrastructure to arena scale, without disrupting the guest experience or adding operational burden to an already complex venue.

“This program reinforces our commitment to making sustainability an effortless part of the fan experience,” said Brianna Treat, Director of Sustainability at Climate Pledge Arena. “By utilizing Bold Reuse and partnering with WM, we’re driving innovation in reuse and waste reduction while maintaining our leadership as one of the most sustainable venues in the world. Our fans will enjoy their drinks in high-quality reusable cups with no impact to their event experience – just drop your cup in the clearly marked bins, and the team takes care of the rest.”

Solution: How Bold Reuse Supported

Climate Pledge Arena partnered with Bold Reuse to replace recyclable aluminum cups with a full-service reusable cup program. The reuse program is built to reduce the environmental impact of beverages at events and complements Climate Pledge Arena’s broader zero waste strategy, in collaboration with WM, the Arena’s official recycling partner.

Cross-team alignment. Bold Reuse worked alongside food & beverage, operations, marketing, arena tenants, and recycling partner WM to build shared ownership and align on a seamless guest experience before launch, rather than after.
Full-service infrastructure. Bold Reuse brought the collection, sanitation, and redistribution systems built for arena scale — cup and bin design, internal communications support ahead of launch.
Zero-friction guest and operational experience. Fans order a drink in a reusable cup at no extra charge, drop it in a clearly marked return bin when finished, and Bold Reuse handles collection, sanitation in industrial low-heat dishwashers, and redistribution for the next event. No deposit to track, no behavior change required, fans simply enjoy their drink as they always have and return the cup to the designated return bin.
Venue-wide launch, no pilot. The program went live across every bar and marketplace on day one, backed by simple, repeated signage so guests knew what to do without staff intervention.
Shared accountability. Bold Reuse and CPA's sustainability team track data from day one, including the number of cups diverted from landfills, pounds of waste diverted, and return rates, giving every department the numbers they need to track the program's success.