Plastic recycling issue is a hot topic in Russia since there are just a few recycling factories in the country as well as people themselves are not used to sorting garbage and recycling in general. Only 4% of all waste are recycled in Russia. At the same time 2018 will stay in country’s sport history since in summer Russia hosted the most significant football event ever - FIFA World Cup that left after it hundred of thousands Budweiser beer cups. Being official sponsor and socially responsible brand which follows the policy of ecological manufacturing, Budweiser decided not to just collect the used cups, but to do something meaningful that will bring people’s attention to the problem of plastic recycling, as well as turn the world cup heritage into something useful for people – ReCup arena.

ReCup Arena – football field made of plastic beer cups left after FIFA World Cup. Budweiser collected and recycled 50.000 cups and turned them into the professional white field 65x42 meters in size with red marking. The field become free public place open to everyone who wants to feel the atmosphere of the world cup. Budweiser raised the problem of plastic recycling and enforced people to see this problem at a new angle and offered one of decisions. Being official World Cup sponsor, the brand prolonged football celebrations for years in future.

In the year 2018 Russia held one of the most famous worldwide events – FIFA World Cup. This occasion attracted not only fooball fans, but people of different interests. Using football cup as media occasion, Budweiser decided to draw peoples’ attention towards the problem of plastic recycling in Russia.

Being official sponsor, Budweiser created special beer cups – Budweiser Red Light that were left after the tournament. Budweiser collected and recycled 50.000 cups and turned them in football pitch 65x42 meters in size, made of semi-transparent polypropylene left from the beer cups.

The field opening ceremony was held by FIFA legend and world champion – Marco Materazzi, who drew peoples’ attention towards the problem of plastic recycling once again while his opening presentation. The field became free public place open for everyone interested.

Budweiser cups are made of 100% polypropylene and 2 main parts – transparent white body and red bottom. Each cup was divided into these two parts. Both crashed into small particles and re-made into white and red granules. Later on, special fiber was made that became the main substrate of football field. White fiber was used for the main coverage 65x42 meters, red was used for the lines. The unusual color drew people’s attention and raised the question of why the color is white. That’s how they were immediately informed about the problem of plastic recycling and the solution introduced. The field itself meets all football standards and is made for amateur tournaments. The pitch became free community platform that could be used by anyone. That’s how brand drew attention to the problem of plastic recycling and also let people to feel the breath of world cup after its’ final.

788 media were covering the ReCup project, including football, design, lifestyle, news and others: CNN, NBC, Sun, BBC, it’s nice that, guardian, adweek, the drum, 90 min, Eurosport.

Media impressions - 3 008 788 037 people. The project was very well received by people in social networks as well as within comments under news publication.

The pitch became free community platform that could be used by anyone. That’s how brand drew attention to the problem of plastic recycling and also let people to feel the breath of world cup even after its’ final.