Gamedays at California Memorial Stadium are electric, bringing tens of thousands of fans together in one place. The energy is undeniable. So is the waste.
With a seating capacity of more than 63,000, even a sold-out game can generate thousands of pounds of plastic trash, much of it from single-use food and beverage packaging sold through concessions stands. With a campus committed to reducing waste and eliminating single-use plastics, tackling the stadium’s waste presented a clear opportunity to rethink how beverages could be served to Cal fans.
Cal Zero Waste, a campus coalition dedicated to advancing UC Berkeley’s zero-waste initiatives and fostering a shared culture of sustainability, has long partnered with Cal Athletics to drive waste reduction efforts at campus athletic events. Together, they have led zero-waste challenges, including the Pac-12 “Road to Zero Waste” games, where one home football or basketball game is selected to educate and engage fans to divert waste. Building on that legacy, the two groups began exploring ways to reduce waste at the source, starting with how beverages are served. Discussions focused on implementing a reusable cup initiative to minimize the environmental footprint of single-use plastics at one of the campus’s busiest event settings, Cal football games.
In 2024, Cal Zero Waste and Cal Athletics teamed up with campus partners PepsiCo and Levy to create a sustainable solution by introducing r.World, a reusable serveware provider whose cups, plates and to-go containers help eliminate single-use waste at events, festivals and venues. “R.World was engaged to analyze California Memorial Stadium’s beverage service and waste systems and design a reuse program that could integrate into existing stadium operations without disrupting the fan experience,” said Michael Martin, r.World Founder and CEO.
For the first time, Cal fans attending a football game could enjoy a refreshing beverage in a r.Cup that could be returned, washed and reused at future sporting events. The durable, reusable cups were designed to reduce the need for disposable drinkware, helping the campus move closer to its goal of a zero-waste gameday experience. Fans deposit their r.Cups in designated reuse bins placed next to trash, recycling and compost stations throughout the stadium. After each game, the cups are retrieved, taken off-site for cleaning and inspection, and returned to the stadium for use at future games.
R.World partnered closely with Cal Zero Waste to train stadium staff not only on the operational process for handling reusable cups but also on the purpose behind the initiative, ensuring staff felt invested in their roles. Simple, clear signage was placed at concessions counters and other high-traffic locations around the stadium to educate fans. During games, stadium announcements also reinforced the return process, while Zero Waste student ambassadors engaged directly with attendees.
“The program was intentionally designed to align with how people naturally move through the stadium, making reuse the easiest and most intuitive option,” said Martin. By combining operational planning, staff engagement, clear messaging and thoughtful stadium design, the initiative makes it easy for fans to participate in reducing single-use waste while enjoying the gameday experience.
A win for sustainability
Beyond the metrics, the program underscores that reuse can perform reliably in high-volume, fast-paced event settings without affecting service to fans or the overall fan experience. “The partnership with Levy, PepsiCo, Cal Zero Waste and the student team made it possible to move beyond the pilot and successfully implement reuse at full stadium scale,” said Martin. As a result, UC Berkeley became the first college stadium in the nation to go fully reusable for cups, marking a major milestone in advancing sustainable solutions across collegiate athletics.
Berkeley’s success demonstrated that reuse can move beyond a sustainability goal to become a proven, operational standard. “Being able to point to a fully reusable college stadium has helped accelerate conversations with other universities, sports venues and public institutions that are navigating similar single-use reduction goals,” said Martin. “The program reinforced the importance of designing reuse as infrastructure, meaning that reuse is integrated into food service, waste systems and staffing, rather than as a one-off initiative.”
Two years later, similar pilot programs are being implemented at stadiums across the country, extending beyond collegiate venues and showcasing the growing need for sustainable solutions in single-use waste. In August 2025, the San Francisco 49ers and PepsiCo launched a reusable cup program at Levi's Stadium. Together, these efforts suggest a growing shift toward reuse initiatives across campus and beyond.
The success of the campus’s reusable cup program shows what is possible when strong collaboration brings together campus partners, departments and student-led organizations, an approach central to Cal Zero Waste’s mission. Building on this momentum, the program opens the door to expanding reuse into other high-traffic campus spaces, such as the student union and dining facilities, as well as at special campus events. These opportunities reflect the next phase of work at UC Berkeley, where partners across campus can continue to collaborate in support of broader single-use plastic reduction goals.