Ball installs aluminum cup ‘reverse-vending machine’ at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

USA – Ball Aluminium Cups and Denver Arts and Venues have announced the installation of a reverse vending machine (RVM) on the Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s Top Plaza to increase aluminium recycling in the venue.

The machine was installed on October 2nd and will be available at Red Rocks until November 12th. It aims to increase recycling rates at Red Rocks and educate consumers about the benefits of using aluminium.

Guests can insert their Ball Aluminium Cup, aluminium can or aluminium bottle into the front of the machine. The machine utilizes a conveyor belt to scan, crush, and sort the aluminium packaging.

Once the packaging is sorted, users will have the opportunity to scan a QR code for a chance to win Red Rocks merchandise.

Ball worked with the RVM provider Cycle, powered by Recycle Track Systems, to install the machine. CEO Gregory Lettieri stated, “Our collaboration is about more than just recycling; it’s about gamifying sustainability.”

The installation of RVM (Reverse Vending Machine) will support Red Rocks’ current waste diversion initiatives. With over one million visitors each year, Red Rocks aims to minimize landfill waste by implementing a three-bin waste collection system and employing a team of staff members dedicated to sorting waste, thereby increasing recycling rates.

Entertainment and sporting events are hotbeds for packaging waste, requiring extensive clean-up and recycling operations.

At the end of the season, the RVM will be able to provide Red Rocks with metrics on the quantity, type, and mass of aluminium recycled.

Ball Aluminium Cups has been an official sustainability partner of Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Denver Arts and Venues since 2021.

The company’s General Manager and President, Emily Fong Mitchell, commented, “Installing the reverse vending machine at Red Rocks brings many of Ball’s priorities to life – incentivizing recycling, educating consumers about aluminium’s sustainable properties, and driving change through entertainment events.”

Infinitely recyclable and economically valuable, aluminum is the most sustainable material for beverage packaging. Just like aluminum cans, aluminum cups can be easily recycled.

Seventy-five percent of all the aluminum ever produced is still in use today. Aluminum cans, cups, and bottles can be recycled and back on a store shelf in about 60 days.

The Ball Aluminum Cup® is now made up of 90 percent recycled content, which is the highest recycled content rate among all beverage packaging in its category. It is also available in five different sizes.

In addition to its sustainability and recycling benefits, the aluminum cup is lightweight, durable, cool to the touch, and enhances the drinking experience.