The GIANTS continue to play their part in sustainability and reducing impact on the environment after agreeing to a first-of-its-kind deal within the AFL industry.

The new deal, in partnership with social impact enterprise War on Single Use Plastic (WOSUP), will see the removal of plastic beer cups from all home games at GIANTS Stadium this season.

Kicking off in the club’s highly anticipated Opening Round clash with Collingwood at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday night, the sustainability partnership sets a new standard, aimed at eliminating the negative knock-on of plastic pollution.  

In collaboration with Sydney Showground, the deal sees the GIANTS become the first AFL club to replace environmentally harmful single-use plastic draught beer cups with reusable and infinitely recyclable and reusable WOSUP aluminium cups.  

Covering all draught beers sold in general areas at GIANTS Stadium, the partnership will allow the GIANTS to divert approximately 27,000 single-use plastic cups from landfill across the 2024 season.

It will also deliver a total carbon reduction of 81,000kg CO₂-e, which is the equivalent of almost 129 native trees planted across the season or almost 16 trees per game.

GIANTS Executive General Manager - Commercial, Alex Stanley, was equally as thrilled with the new partnership.

“This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact and we’re excited to make a positive impact together,” Mr Stanley said.

“Removing single-use plastic from our home games will make a difference and we are extremely proud to be leading the way as the first AFL club to switch to reusable alternatives.

“WOSUP does a fantastic job in promoting reusable alternatives and we look forward to playing our part in continuing to support recycling and sustainability over plastic.” 

WOSUP Co-Founder and CEO Martin Salter highlighted the impact that single-use plastic has on the environment.

“There’s no question plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing our planet,” Mr Salter said.

“In Australia alone, a line-up of 65 stadiums and 43 arenas churn through an estimated 40 to 50 million disposable cups each year. Of concern, only nine percent of all plastic ever made has been recycled, while 75 per cent of all aluminium produced remains in use, making it the most sustainable metal in the world and a key circular economy building block.

“Our mission is to reduce global use of 50 million single-use plastic cups a year by 2030 and help sport and entertainment.”

The new partnership will take effect on Saturday night when the GIANTS create history by hosting Collingwood at GIANTS Stadium in the AFL’s first-ever Opening Round.

The first bounce will take place at 7:30pm, with gates open from 6pm.