Green switch hailed but no refund policy is criticised on social media by customers
While environmental groups have welcomed the move, some customers have taken to social media to express frustration at the new scheme.
The SSE is one of several Belfast venues to join a trial using reusable cups in a drive to cut single-use plastics.
The scheme will see customers pay an extra £1 for the first drink purchased at the venue, and they can then bring their cup back for refills.
Before leaving the venue, customers are being asked to return the reusable cup which will be washed and reused for future events. The £1 charge is non-refundable.
Other Belfast venues joining the scheme include the Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall, Oh Yeah Centre, Black Box, Voodoo, and the MAC.
The cups are being delivered to participating venues by North Down Marquees, who also collect them after events and deliver them to a facility in Carryduff to be washed before being used again.
Environmental group, Friends of the Earth, have welcomed the move, saying that “all venues” should follow the example and “make the shift”.
They added that figures for similar schemes at Premier League football grounds showed that 6 million cups could be removed per season.
A spokesperson said: “ Venues are major waste generators. Making the shift will prevent thousands of plastic cups from going straight to landfill.
“ All venues, including sports arenas, should follow suit and make the shift.”
The SSE Arena is one of several venues to sign up to the scheme
Since the SSE announced the trial on Monday, some customers have voiced frustration over the non-refundable levy.
One Facebook user said, “Surely I would want to keep the cup for next time so I don’t have to pay the £1 extra every time I visit? Why would I return it if I’ve paid for it?”
Another said: “I have seen similar schemes to this work where the levy is returned once the cup is returned, this version doesn’t give people any motivation to return the cups. Very tone deaf approach!”
Other arenas and venues across the UK have employed similar reusable cup schemes. The Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham introduced reusable cups in 2017, in what they say was the first move of its kind in the country.
Motorpoint also charges a £1 levy, however customers who return the cup at the end of the night get their money back. They are also free to “take the cup home as a cherished memento.”
The OVO arena in Glasgow also has a “One Cup solution”, which it describes as “the UK’s only carbon-neutral reusable cup system.”
They previously charged a £1 deposit, however they say they have “moved away from a deposit scheme to streamline the process and improve your experience.”
When asked about the £1 levy, a spokesperson from The SSE Arena, Belfast said: “As the largest venue in Belfast’s citywide reusable cup trial, the £1 levy is essential to cover operational costs, including cleaning, sanitising, and transporting cups to a specialist washing facility in Carryduff.
“The SSE Arena has been exploring this scheme since 2018 but lacked access to a local wash plant until now.
“The £1 levy was introduced as a transparent approach to funding the scheme. Any surplus from the levy will support The Odyssey Trust’s charitable and green initiatives, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability.”
Announcing the launch of the scheme more generally, Dermot McGinn, group head of food and beverage at the Odyssey Trust, said: “The SSE Arena is proud to be the first venue involved in this trial to implement reusable cups.
“We are pleased to work alongside other forward-thinking venues to tackle single-use plastic waste and support a more sustainable future for entertainment in Northern Ireland.”
Visit Belfast is also supporting the scheme, with its sustainability and impact manager Jac Callan adding: “Visit Belfast is delighted to welcome this innovative initiative and to see a diverse range of venues investing in solutions to reduce the events industry’s environmental impact.”