r.World Stops 20 Million Single-Use Cups from Going to Landfills

Reuse Holds Potential to Revolutionize Waste Management in Live Events and Beyond

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- r.World, the U.S. leader in reusable foodware solutions, marks a major milestone with the elimination of 20 million single-use cups and foodware from landfills. Stacked end-to-end, these 20 million items would stretch over 1,700 miles – the distance between Las Vegas to Chicago. This achievement indicates the effectiveness of scalable reuse models and their role in the growing movement towards a circular economy.

The environmental and economic benefits of reuse are clear. By providing large venues, campuses, and corporations with advanced reverse logistics and sanitizing solutions at local "wash hubs," r.World has:

• Prevented over 110 tons of plastic from ever being produced;

• Eliminated 440 U.S. tons of CO2 emissions;

• Saved 1,650,000 kWh of energy;

• And conserved 5,000,000 gallons of water.

Reuse systems reduce costs associated with replacing single-use items, waste management expenses and disposal fees; this, coupled with the ability to generate revenue from reuse and high return rates, demonstrates reuse can be a financially smarter choice compared to single-use models.

"The plastic crisis is one of our most pressing environmental challenges, and reuse solutions are critical to addressing it," says Erin Simon, vice president of plastic waste and business at World Wildlife Fund (WWF). "This kind of ambitious leadership is necessary as we move to normalize reuse and create real, scalable change."

"From launching reuse on the Joshua Tree tour in 2017 to seeing r.World now surpass 20 million single-use items diverted, we've witnessed the idea grow into an industry-changing solution," says U2 guitarist The Edge. "Reuse is innovation in action, and it shows what's possible when artists, venues, and fans work together to make live entertainment sustainable."

As the national leader in reuse, r.World has serviced thousands of locations across 35+ states, 150+ cities, and 12 countries. r.World has partnered with the nation's leading venues such as Crypto.com Arena, UC Berkeley football stadium, and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and has established relationships with sports and entertainment leaders like AEG, Legends, Live Nation, Aramark, Sodexo, and Levy.

"Eliminating 20 million single-use items is irrefutable proof reuse at scale is achievable, profitable, and impactful," said Michael Martin, founder and CEO of r.World. "This milestone validates our belief that a better way to tackle waste is possible, one that's environmentally responsible and economically viable."

About r.World

r.World is the nation's #1 provider of advanced reverse logistics and sanitizing solutions dedicated to reducing environmental impact by eliminating single-use packaging and building a thriving circular economy. r.World's turnkey infrastructure—spanning supply, collection, washing, logistics, and community engagement—prevents more than one million single-use items from entering landfills every month. Committed to empowering organizations to achieve sustainability goals and comply with new regulations, r.World has been recognized globally as a sustainability innovator. Learn more at rworldreuse.com.

Media Contact: 
Lydia Miner
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Company Contact: 
Jessica Johnston
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SOURCE r.World