Bundesliga runners-up Borussia Dortmund are taking their environmental commitments seriously: the start of the 2019/20 season will see the introduction of a new reusable cup system within Signal Iduna Park. The club has worked together with Environmental Action Germany to develop a policy which will help protect the environment and improve fan experience while also upholding security requirements. The new system is the continuation of a pilot project which ran over the course of last season in the stadium's family section.

From now on, all 0.5 litre drinks served in Germany's largest football stadium will once more be served in reusable cups. Due to security concerns and on the expressed wish of the security services, it has been decided that the south stand and the area for away fans in the north stand will be excluded from this policy. The reintroduction of reusable cups marks a clear and deliberate departure from the disposable cups policy which has been in place since 2015. Disposable cups used in the stadium are currently recycled in a nearby biogas plant.

''After a year of close collaboration with many different parties, we're absolutely delighted with the solution we've developed,'' said BVB managing director Carsten Cramer, going on to add that: ''Here at BVB, independent of the increased public attention drawn to environmental issues such as plastic waste, we've long come to the conclusion that all decisions ought to be arrived at with strong consideration of their environmental impact, and that these decisions ought to be regularly reviewed with these considerations in mind. We're just getting started with this approach and we're determined to continue along this path in the years to come.''

The new policy is just one of several ways in which Borussia Dortmund has taken steps to decrease its environmental impact: the club has banned the use of plastic straws in all "VIP areas", takeaway coffee no longer comes with plastic lids, plus since 2018, the ever-popular currywurst has been served with forks made of wood as opposed to plastic. These measures may seem small, but in light of the almost two million spectators that attend BVB home games in a season across all competitions (Supercup, Bundesliga, DFB-Cup, UEFA Champions League), they will certainly add up to improve the club's overall sustainability.