For a stadium with more than a century of history, Providence Park presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Retrofitting sustainability into older venues requires creativity, long-term thinking and operational change rather than cosmetic fixes. As Timbers CEO Heather Davis explained, the partnership is about using those constraints as a catalyst for innovation.

“Sustainability and environmental awareness are responsibilities we embrace with intention and action,” said Davis. “As a 100-year-old stadium, Providence Park carries both incredible history and some inherent limitations, but that only strengthens our commitment to finding innovative solutions. Partnering with a global leader like Skanska elevates the impact of the Bold Reuse programme and helps us push beyond those constraints.”

From recycling to reuse: shifting the sustainability model

At the heart of the partnership is the expansion of the Bold Reuse programme, which replaces single-use cups and foodware with reusable alternatives across premium and high-traffic areas of the stadium. The initiative reflects a broader shift within sport away from focusing solely on recycling and composting towards reuse as the most effective route to reducing lifecycle emissions and material consumption.

Heather Watkins, Co-Founder of Bold Reuse, said the partnership highlights how sponsorship in sport is evolving beyond traditional branding into operational impact.

“At Bold Reuse, our mission is to make reuse the standard at large venues, and partnerships like this are how we get there,” Watkins said. “When sponsors step in to champion reuse, it accelerates adoption, strengthens operations and unlocks the full potential of scalable systems inside stadiums. With the right partners, reuse can thrive at scale.”

Scaling impact across Providence Park

First launched in 2024, the Bold Reuse programme is now entering its third season at Providence Park and will be expanded in 2026 across areas including the First Tech Suites & Lounge, adiClub, Lexus Lounge, Bank of America Signature Club on Tanner Ridge, the Pub Beer Patio and pitchside hospitality spaces.

The results to date point to tangible impact. Since launch, the programme has diverted close to 115,000 single-use cups from landfill, removing more than 5,500 pounds of waste from the matchday footprint. Beyond waste reduction, the programme also delivers measurable reductions in energy use and emissions when compared to disposable alternatives.

For Skanska, the partnership is positioned as a reflection of the company’s wider sustainability commitments within the built environment and urban regeneration.

“Portland is a community that believes in doing things the right way, to strengthen the city and reduce environmental impact,” said Trevor Wyckoff, Executive Vice President at Skanska USA Building. “As a top builder in the region, we know that lasting impact comes from smart design and responsible choices. The reusable cup programme is a perfect example of that.”

Technical firsts and data-driven sustainability

The Timbers’ ‘Green is Gold’ strategy has also become a testbed for innovation. Working with Bold Reuse and technology partners, Providence Park has piloted reusable foodware backed by state support, introduced stadium-specific reusable vessels, and trialled RFID tracking to monitor usage rates and lifecycles of cups and containers.

For Watkins, these technical innovations are critical to moving sustainability in sport beyond storytelling and into measurable outcomes.

“Reuse only works when it is operationally efficient and measurable,” she noted. “The data coming out of Providence Park shows what’s possible when venues take reuse seriously as infrastructure, not just as a campaign.”

From activity to impact

The Timbers’ partnership with Skanska reflects a broader shift across the sports industry: moving from visible sustainability activities towards interventions that can demonstrate real-world impact. Reuse systems, supported by data, provide a clearer line of sight between action and outcome – from waste avoided to emissions reduced.

As more clubs, leagues and venues look to embed sustainability into their commercial partnerships, Providence Park offers a case study in how environmental leadership can be built into core operations rather than treated as an add-on. The challenge for the wider sports ecosystem is now to scale these models beyond pioneering venues and into the mainstream of event operations.