HEINEKEN USA and the Recycling Partnership Challenged Soccer Fans to Kick Up Their Recycling Game at the International Champions Cup

How do you encourage some of the world’s most passionate soccer fans to become passionate about recycling? You make it a competition! At the International Champions Cup, supporters of Europe’s top clubs were pitted against one another to determine which fan base has the greenest consumers. We call it competitive recycling.

HEINEKEN USA teamed up with The Recycling Partnership at the ICC to challenge consumers 21+ to represent their clubs by placing their recyclables in specially-marked bins. Sensors on each container tracked the total amount of items recycled and which team was in the lead. Supporters of A.C. Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea Football Club and Real Madrid had the opportunity to score points against their rival fans by recycling the most products on behalf of their team. By sharing the experience via their personal social channels using #HUSARecycling, fans had the chance to win a seat upgrade to that day’s match as well.

“Soccer fans are some of the most passionate and loyal fans in sports, and we look to tap into their pride and team spirit to boost awareness for recycling, a priority initiative for HEINEKEN USA,” said Tara Rush, Chief Corporate Relations Officer at HEINEKEN USA. “The Recycling Partnership has been a true champion in helping educate and improve recycling in the United States, and we were excited to join together at this summer’s International Champions Cup.”

“By collaborating with HEINEKEN USA at the International Champions Cup, we were able to reach and educate an incredibly important group of consumers,” said Keefe Harrison, Executive Director of The Recycling Partnership. “Soccer is one of the most popular sports for Millennials today, and they are also the age group that will have the biggest impact on our environment in the near future.”

So who were the greenest fans out there?

• No red cards issued against Bayern Munich fans as they racked up more recyclables than A.C. Milan fans at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL on July 27th 30th 
• Chelsea Football Club fans didn't need extra time to out-recycle Real Madrid fans at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI on July
• No offsides called on Real Madrid fans as they one-upped Bayern Munich fans in their recycling game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on August 3rd

At the ICC, we learned something new about soccer fans. They demonstrated their loyalty not just to their team, but to the environment, as all recycling bins were nearly full at each match. In keeping game-day waste out of landfills, these soccer fans proved they can be as green as the pitch.