United Centre partners with Culligan International, promoting the use of aluminium cans or bottles

The United Centre, home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks has recently partnered with Culligan, the global water treatment company, to promote using recyclable aluminium to replace plastic. This new partnership will see more use of aluminium bottles or cans, eliminating single-use plastic water bottles.

In a world where sustainability and emission reduction have become the primary goal, the use of aluminium has increased significantly, with many companies shifting towards green metal to ensure an environment-friendly production or usage.

Starting this September, recyclable aluminium bottles will replace plastic water bottles at concession stands, locker rooms, and stadium boxes. The arena will also feature new filtered water fountains, including some for sparkling water, and nearly 100 additional recycling bins will be installed to encourage visitors to recycle their aluminium bottles rather than discard them.

“Eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles will avoid hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles that fill our landfills and oceans. Not to mention, it's a healthier option" since the aluminium containers are BPA-free, and people won't have to worry about microplastics or so-called forever chemicals that have been linked to various cancers,” said Scott Clawson, CEO of Culligan.

Culligan is continuing the momentum by replacing all single-use plastic water bottles at the finish line of this year’s Chicago Marathon with aluminium alternatives. And Chicago isn’t the only city where sports are promoting more sustainable and healthier living.

"We wanted to have an example of what can be done that's a benchmark for future arenas that also helps educate consumers. Culligan's headquarters are in Chicago, so the partnership was a good opportunity for the global business to make an impact close to home. The United Center has 2 million guests a year — it's the largest indoor arena for the NBA. It's the second largest for the NHL," Clawson said. "We just said, this is a great place to start,” added Clawson.