Rio Tinto is set to supply aluminium for infinitely recyclable cups to the Bell Centre, home of Canadian hockey team the Montreal Canadiens, through a new five-year partnership.
The aluminium will be sourced from Rio’s Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region in Québec, which the company said is responsible for nearly half of global aluminium production.
The cups will be for use at sporting and entertainment events as part of Montreal Canadiens’ ‘the goal is green’ initiative, endorsed by the national bank of Canada, Banque Nationale.
The initiative aims to reduce the environmental footprint of the Canadiens, support green and renewable resources, and encourage fans to do the same.
“The low-carbon aluminium we proudly produce right here in Québec is reusable, traceable, and infinitely recyclable,” Rio Tinto aluminium Atlantic operations managing director Sébastien Ross said.
“Our company has deep roots in Montreal and the province of Québec, and through partnerships such as this one, we are finding better ways to provide the materials needed to make events and locations in our host communities more sustainable.”
The new aluminium cups are expected to replace 1.5 million single-use plastic cups annually. The city of Montreal banned the use of single-use plastics earlier this year.
“When Montreal Canadiens fans make their way towards the Bell Centre to cheer on their favourite team, they first walk through La Cour Rio Tinto where we celebrate the greats of our storied franchise,” Group CH executive vice president and chief operations and venues officer Daniel Trottier said.
“It is fitting to see our next-door neighbour deepen its partnership with our organisation by supplying the aluminium we need in order to reduce our environmental footprint and enable our fans to do the same.”
While the partnership comes into effect immediately, the cups will be available to fans by the end of 2023.