Liverpool supporters found an unexpected source of cash during their Champions League visit to Austria, after LASK’s deposit system for reusable drinking cups turned discarded beer cups into refundable returns.
Reports said many fans spent the evening and the period after the match collecting cups from the stands and concourses so they could claim the cashback. The scene put an unusual spotlight on the Austrian club’s deposit scheme, which is intended to encourage the return of reusable containers.
LASK has promoted a plastic-free stadium model and uses the deposit system as part of that approach. Instead of treating cups as single-use waste, the venue attaches a small refundable value to each container, giving spectators a reason to bring them back.
Circular-economy message
The fan activity also coincided with wider efforts to highlight circular-economy measures in football. UEFA says it is placing greater emphasis on such measures at its club competitions. Liverpool, meanwhile, has been publicising its own recycling record at Anfield, saying more than one million plastic bottles have been recycled there over the past three seasons.
The LASK episode shows a deposit-return system operating in a crowded matchday setting: cups left in stands and concourses retained a refundable value, and fans could collect them to claim that value. The scheme’s stated purpose is to encourage the return of reusable containers rather than leave them as waste.
The available reports describe the fans’ cup collection but do not give formal return rates or environmental results for the scheme. Even so, the episode illustrates how a refundable value can give spectators a reason to return containers after a match.