Controversy after SSE Arena in Belfast announce that visitors will have to pay an extra £1 for their first drink as part of a move towards reusable plastic cups

A statement on the ‘The SSE Arena, Belfast's post’ said: ‘The SSE Arena will introduce reusable cups as part of a citywide trial to reduce single-use plastic.

‘Launched in partnership with Visit Belfast, the scheme will look to remove two million single-use cups from nights out in Belfast and eliminate 40 tonnes of plastic waste annually.

‘Take a look at how the reusable cups will work bit.ly/ArenaReusableCups’

The charge is not refundable and the arena said it would be used to pay for the cost of transporting the cups to be cleaned at "a new state-of-the-art washing facility" in Carryduff.

Comments on the SSE announcement include:

• Paul Bailie – ‘Can we not bring our own plastic pint cup and get it filled? We can take our own empties home and clean them ourselves. If you attend every home game your paying SSE about £30 for nothing’.
• Alana-Marie Isom - ‘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?’
• Kirsty Mulholland - ‘I’ll either bring the cup home or leave it where I was sitting. No incentive to return it to the collection point if there’s no deposit refund. Drinks are pricy enough in the arena without this.’
• Jen McCrea - ‘Was at a concert in Amsterdam and they gave you a wooden token as you went in. This had to be handed into the bar to get your first drink and you had to bring your empty cup back in order to get a new drink. Everyone even stacked their cups at the bars as they left at the end. Zero rubbish and empty drinks cups lying on floor at the end of the night’.

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, making it unviable until now.

"Having contributed a significant capital investment to the scheme alongside key partners, we have developed the necessary infrastructure to make this initiative possible.

“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.”

The move comes after Belfast’s entertainment venues recently released a statement saying they have joined forces in a drive to eliminate single use plastic cups at gigs and events in 2025.

The move aims to remove 2 million single use plastic cups from nights out in Belfast and eliminate 40 tons of plastic waste annually.

It’s set to be the first multi-venue scheme of this kind in the UK and Ireland.

The Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall, The SSE Arena, Oh Yeah Centre, Black Box, Voodoo and The MAC have all invested in the scheme and will introduce reusable cups over the coming months.

Other venues are lined up to join the next phase of the citywide rollout.

However it has emerged that the Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall are not applying the £1 levy.

They said: “Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall will not be charging a levy for reusable cups.

"This is an operational decision for each participating venue.

"We are committed to this important move and we have made a significant investment in this initiative as a business.

"We will be trying to mitigate the additional operating costs through savings in other areas across the business, as well as reviewing pricing across our hospitality offering.

"We hope our customers will support this pilot to help tackle one of the biggest challenges in the events and entertainment industry: single use plastic cups.”

The 12-month pilot is being driven by the Venue Sustainability Forum (VSF), chaired by Wilton Farrelly, Non-Executive Director of Belfast Waterfront and Ulster Hall Ltd and supported by Visit Belfast.

Iain Bell, Acting Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall said, “The task force behind this brilliant new initiative, the Venue Sustainability Forum, are setting out to tackle one of the biggest sustainability challenges affecting us all – single use plastic.

“The switch from glass to plastic remains an important health and safety concern for gigs and entertainment venues, so this is a very positive step towards a solution which addresses both safety and sustainability.”

The participating organisations will partner with North Down Marquees, who will deliver the reusable cups to the venues and pick up used ones, which will be washed in a central washing facility in Carryduff, before being redistributed again.

The SSE Arena has been the first participating venue to implement the use of reusable cups, with the scheme coming into effect from mid-January.

Dermot McGinn, Group Head of Food and Beverage at The Odyssey Trust, said: “The SSE Arena, Belfast is proud to be the first venue involved in this trial to implement reusable cups.

"As Northern Ireland’s premier entertainment destination, we are committed to providing customers with the best experience every time while also minimising our environmental impact wherever possible.

"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.”