Sports venues generate massive amounts of plastic waste, but achieving circularity has remained elusive. In this case study, PureCycle shares how three organizations collaborated across the entire supply chain to transform stadium recycling from aspiration to reality.
This solution required rethinking the entire system. The Cleveland Browns implemented PureCycle's PureZero™ recycling program, training janitorial staff and improving collection infrastructure. Their waste hauler specifically sorted and baled PP items from games. PureCycle then sourced these bales as feedstock for its Ironton, Ohio facility, using patented dissolution recycling technology to produce high-quality recycled resin that meets food-contact standards. Finally, Churchill Container used this resin to manufacture the Run It Back™ line of cups and containers, bringing stadium waste full circle back into fans' hands.
The results speak for themselves: 20-25 tons of plastics and aluminum recycled per season, and the Browns' 2025-26 player souvenir cups prove that ambitious circularity goals are achievable when the right partners align.