Reusable cup trial in Portland stadiums uses RFID tracking

A pilot program by Bold Reuse is deploying reusable cups with embedded RFID chips at two large sports venues in Portland: the Moda Center (home to the Trail Blazers) and Providence Park (home to the Timbers and Thorns). The initiative, in partnership with Avery Dennison, captures data across each cup’s full lifecycle—from distribution to return, cleaning and reuse.

Each cup is equipped during manufacture with a unique ultra-high frequency RFID tag that survives hundreds of industrial wash cycles and withstands heat, detergent and repeated use. At the stadiums, cups are scanned when handed out at concessions, again when returned by fans, and then tracked through Bold Reuse’s wash hub where the cups are sanitized, sorted and redeployed.

According to the companies, this digital traceability allows venue operators to measure return rates, cleaning throughput, damage rates and reuse performance at scale. The pilot uses approximately 15,000 cups and aims to test whether reusable cup systems can compete with single-use alternatives while providing transparency and accountability that support large-scale implementation.

If successful, Bold Reuse plans to roll out the technology across a broader network of venues and corporate campuses, using the insights gained from the pilot to refine processes and increase efficiency.