Live Nation invests in reusable cup system Turn

Live Nation has made a strategic investment in Turn Systems, which operates a leading reusable cup system.

The system, launched in Australia and New Zealand in 2012, includes reusable cups, collection bins and mobile washing systems powered by an incentive-based software offering.

According to the company, a single reusable Turn cup has the potential to displace up to 100 single-use cups and can break even on its environmental impact in as few as three uses.

Live Nation has already deployed the Turn System at several recent events, including Bonnaroo Festival in June where the programme was deemed “a huge success” after fans returned 88% of the cups.

The live entertainment giant will now begin rolling out Turn Systems across a number of festivals and venues this year, including major events such as Lollapalooza, Sea.Hear.Now, and Austin City Limits Festival, with the aim to displace more than 1 million single-use cups this year.

Michael Rapino, president and CEO, says: “By investing in Turn, Live Nation is able to make events at our venues and festivals more sustainable. By rolling out real-world solutions at scale we hope this helps the whole industry find solutions.”

“We will use our venues and festivals to demonstrate the effectiveness of large-scale reuse programmes”

According to a recent study by Live Nation, live music goers are eager to play a bigger role in protecting the environment with 82% saying they strive to maintain an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.

Lucy August-Perna, director of global sustainability, adds: “We know that live music goers are motivated to engage in sustainable practices at live events, and so we want to make sure we’re providing sustainable options for fans that are easily accessible and convenient to use. With our investment in Turn, we will use our venues and festivals to demonstrate the effectiveness of large-scale reuse programmes with the hopes of inspiring more rapid adoption of solutions that tackle the global waste and plastic pollution challenge.”

Ryan Everton, founder and CEO of Turn Systems, comments: “To mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis, we need to take meaningful steps to reduce carbon emissions, divert waste from landfills and oceans, and create circular economies at scale. We are thrilled to partner with Live Nation to move the needle forward in achieving these ambitions. By deploying Turn across Live Nation’s extensive reach, we hope to not only reduce the environmental impact of these events but also to inspire others to take climate action at their own events and in their daily lives.”

Live Nation’s pledge to eliminate single-use plastics from its own events is a key pillar in the company’s overall Green Nation global sustainability programme.

Also furthering this effort, the company’s partnership with Liquid Death canned water helped avoid the usage of over 5 million plastic bottles so far, according to Live Nation.

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