The self-operated system will be introduced in January at various venues, including the 17,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, which hosts ice hockey, basketball, mixed martial arts and boxing contests, among other sporting events.

Visitors at Mercedes-Benz Arena and other venues will use Ökocups, which will be mostly made of recycled plastic and will be completely reprocessed at the end of their lifespan.

The cups will be washed and reused on-site, eliminating emissions that would be usually associated with transporting such items to an external washing facility.

The system will replace the biodegradable PLA disposable cups that are currently used for drinks across AEG Germany-operated venues.

Meiko, which specialises in flushing technology, has been commissioned by AEG Germany to install flushing systems that are capable of processing up to 5,300 cups per hour.

According to AEG Germany, a total of 90 tonnes of waste could be eliminated every year. However, if the initiative is successful, it could have significant implications across AEG’s wider global network of venues.

“For us, the introduction of the reusable cup system with an in-house cup rinsing line is a decisive step in our efforts to achieve more sustainability in the operation of our venues,” Uwe Frommhold, Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at AEG Germany, said.

“Regardless of how environmentally friendly the disposal of our cups has been carried out so far, it is simply better not to produce any waste in the first place.

“By purchasing an in-house rinsing line, we avoid transport-related emissions and solve the logistical challenges that previously prevented us from using a reusable system with external cup rinsing.”