Reusable Cups

Sustainability in your hands

The SSE Arena, Belfast is trialling the use of reusable cups to reduce single-use plastic waste as part of the venue's commitment to minimising its environmental impact and providing a more sustainable experience for customers.

How it Works

Get your cup

Order your drink and receive it in a reusable cup. Your first drink includes a non-refundable £1 levy.

Return for refills

Bring your cup back to a concession unit or bar and receive a fresh cup for every further drink you order.

Leave your cup

Drop your cup at a designated collection point after use.

We clean, you reuse

Cups are washed and sanitised for future events.

Thank you!

Thank you for helping us to reduce waste.

The Journey So Far

The SSE Arena is participating in a citywide trial of reusable cups. The trial aims to eliminate 40 tonnes of plastic annually and remove two million single-use plastic cups from nights out in Belfast. Reusable cups help to significantly reduce single-use waste and the environmental impact of large-scale events. This initiative also contributes to broader efforts to make entertainment in Belfast more sustainable.

While The SSE Arena currently achieves zero-waste-to-landfill status, a recent indoor venue report on sustainable cups from Julie’s Bicycle revealed that reusable cups have a lower environmental impact than single-use ones, with the most eco-friendly option being to wash cups off-site at a facility within 50km of the venue.

The SSE Arena has been exploring this scheme since 2018, aligning with the timeframe when other venues began implementing similar initiatives. However, the absence of a nearby wash plant in Northern Ireland made the scheme unviable.

To address this challenge, we made a significant capital investment and partnered with key stakeholders to establish the infrastructure needed for this initiative. This resulted in the opening of a state-of-the-art washing facility in Carryduff. With this facility now operational, venues across Belfast can provide customers with a sustainable alternative to single-use cups.

The £1 levy was introduced as a transparent approach to funding the scheme. As the largest venue participating in Belfast’s citywide reusable cup trial, the £1 levy is necessary to cover the operational costs associated with the initiative. These costs include the cleaning and sanitising of cups and their transport to and from the dedicated washing facility in Carryduff. Without this levy, offering this sustainable option would not be possible.

We will continuously review the scheme throughout 2025 to ensure it aligns with our sustainability objectives and delivers measurable impact. Your feedback is important to us and welcome.

Thank you for helping us to reduce waste and supporting a better future for Belfast.

Frequently Asked Questions