In a strategic partnership between Tennis Australia and Sustainability Victoria, 552kg of single-use cups were saved from landfill at the 2025 Australian Open (AO).
Reusable cups made by Victorian company Bettercup replaced single-use cups at select bars, including the Courtside Bar, with additional reusable cups, bowls and plates used by select food vendors.
While the initiative was expected to prevent waste of 100,000 total items, a record-breaking 136,932 items were washed for reuse during the three-week tournament – almost doubling the result from the previous year.
Exceeding the projection of 50,000 single-use cups, more than 69,000 Bettercups were collected, washed and returned by the Green My Plate dishwashing team, meaning 552kg of single-use cups avoided landfill.
Matt Genever, CEO of Sustainability Victoria, said: “It’s fantastic that so many people embraced the reusable cups at AO25, diverting waste from landfill and reducing their environmental impact.
“The simplicity of the model was key to its success. Patrons enjoyed their drinks in the reusable cups then dropped them at clearly marked collection points for washing. The reusable Bettercups will also be repurposed for other events across Victoria, providing a long-term solution to waste reduction.”
Highlighting a commitment to the long-term sustainability of the event, Tennis Australia’s Director of Sustainability, Matthew Nicholas, added: “We’re proud of the steps we’re taking to reduce single-use consumption at the Australian Open.
“On top of the almost 137,000 single use items diverted from waste streams through the AO Reusables program, we recycled over 74 tonnes of glass and 64 tonnes of cardboard. We also tackled more challenging tournament-specific waste streams, sending approximately 16,000 tennis ball tubes and 5 kilometres of nylon racquet string offcuts to dedicated recycling pilots.”