The Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday announced a new partnership with Racine-based SC Johnson to repurpose the more than 1 million plastic cups used annually at Fiserv Forum and in the Deer District.
Beginning with the 2021-22 NBA season, beverages at all Bucks events will be served in new co-branded Bucks and SC Johnson polyethylene terephthalate cups that SC Johnson will recycle into Scrubbing Bubbles bottles.
Fans and patrons can expect to see designated collection bins throughout Fiserv Forum and Deer District where they can properly recycle their empty PET cups.
“Plastic waste is one of the great environmental challenges we face today, and our partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks is one of many local solutions to this global problem,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “By teaming up with the Bucks, we can create recycling infrastructure at scale for Fiserv Forum, bring awareness to this critical issue, and help close the plastic recycling loop.”
It’s the household goods manufacture’s first sustainability partnership with an NBA team, but not its first in the world of pro sports. In January 2020, SC Johnson and the Milwaukee Brewers announced a similar initiative at American Family Field (then Miller Park). Plans to reuse 1 million plastic cups during that season were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept the stadium devoid of fans, but the partnership is ongoing, the company says.
For context, a season’s worth of plastic cups, about 1.3 million, would make approximately 700,000 Scrubbing Bubbles bottles, Johnson said at the time of the 2020 announcement. That’s about 10% of total bottles sold.
As part of its newest agreement, SC Johnson was named Official Sustainability Partner and the Official Disinfectant and Commercial Cleaning Partner of the Bucks. That includes providing Fiserv Forum staff with improved product and training to ensure the arena remains properly clean as more fans return for games, concerts and other events.
“We’re proud to partner with SC Johnson to further our commitment to sustainability and cleanliness at our world-class arena,” said Peter Feigin, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum. “We believe our alliance with SC Johnson will positively impact these efforts as we remain resolute to protect our environment and make a difference in the community.”
Fiserv Forum has been recognized for its sustainability efforts since opening in 2018. The arena in April 2019 became the first sports and entertainment venue in Wisconsin to be awarded a LEED Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council and was named the world’s first bird-friendly arena by the American Bird Conservancy in 2018.
As part of its green initiatives, SC Johnson has rolled out a number of products that incorporate post-consumer recycled plastic.
Since 2015, the company has used 100% post-consumer recycled plastic in its Windex line, and last year, it announced that Windex packaging would be made entirely from 100% recycled ocean-bound plastic. The company’s products also include liquid concentrated refills, compostable plastic bags, recyclable paper bags and fully reusable silicon bags.
