PepsiCo and Centerplate, a hospitality partner to North American sports entertainment venues, will offer more than 100,000 aluminum cans of AQUAFINA purified still water at the Hard Rock Stadium this Sunday for fans to enjoy at Super Bowl LIV.

The AQUAFINA purified still water cans will help advance the broader mission of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida to phase out 99.4% of single-use plastics in 2020.

Centerplate is the food and beverage partner to the multipurpose stadium, and is said to have been already enforcing a reduced reliance on single-use plastics right through the year.

PepsiCo had set a target to bring down 35% of virgin plastic content by 2025 across its beverage business, which is equivalent to the removal of 2.5 million metric tons of cumulative virgin plastic. The soft drinks giant is expected to achieve this by ramping up recycled PET content and through the usage of more alternative materials, which includes giving AQUAFINA purified still water in cans at the Super Bowl.

Derek Lewis – President, South Division, PepsiCo Beverages North America said: “We can’t achieve PepsiCo’s vision of a world where plastics need never become waste alone. It requires partnership and pulling many levers.

“We have set ambitious sustainability targets and take pride in working with partners like Centerplate and Hard Rock Stadium, who are playing an important role in driving toward a circular economy.”

Similarly, the partnership is part of Centerplate’s commitment to its parent firm Sodexo’s North American Single Use Plastics Reduction Plan. The plan involves removal of single-use plastic bags and stirrers, and will eliminate polystyrene foam items like lids, cups, and food containers by 2025, and making straws to a “by request” item that will still be available to customers who require them, while the company shifts toward more sustainable materials.

Apart from the Single Use Plastics Reduction Plan, Sodexo to globally reduce environmental impact, plans to continue to research and bring out new innovations like re-usable materials, bioplastics, and organic materials to try and eliminate avoidable waste from reaching landfills.

Steve Pangburn – Centerplate CEO said: “We want to lead the way in providing innovative solutions for our clients and guests, especially in support of our mission, vision and values.

“This is another example of a forward-looking enhancement for our team in Miami Gardens that will help us reduce our environmental impact in the months and years ahead, in support of our global mission to make it better to be there in the communities where we serve.”

  AQUAFINA, Centerplate, Derek Lewis, Florida, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Pepsico, Sodexo, Steve Pangburn, USA