Written by: Maddie Kaufman
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the men’s international soccer tournament, with 48 national teams playing 104 matches across three countries (U.S., Mexico, Canada) from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Miami is hosting 7 matches at Hard Rock Stadium (called “Miami Stadium”) during the tournament. Those 7 include group stage games plus knockout rounds, reaching as far as a quarterfinal and the third-place (“Bronze Final”) match. Given the stadium’s capacity of approximately 65,000 fans, we could see nearly 455,000 seats filled across all matches.
Additionally, the official FIFA Fan Festival™ Miami will be taking place at Bayfront Park. Local host and tourism partners have said it will last more than 20 days, host more than 30,000 fans per day, and feature dozens of live match broadcasts, concerts, interactive zones, and food & beverage vendors. If estimated capacity is reached each day, we could see more than 600,000 individuals visiting Fan Fest.
These two official events represent more than one million consumers, but does not include the hundreds of unofficial events and World Cup watch parties that will be taking place across Miami-Dade. We anticipate hundreds of thousands of disposable cups being used and disposed of over the course of the games in Miami-Dade, a County that is already experiencing a waste crisis with all landfills nearing capacity and recycling rates falling short.
The good news: there are proven solutions. Large-scale reusable cup systems already operate successfully at major sporting events, festivals, and fan zones around the world, handling crowds in the tens and hundreds of thousands through deposit-return, incentive-based, or managed reuse models. These systems are designed for high-volume events, with centralized collection, commercial washing, and rapid redistribution, dramatically reducing waste while maintaining smooth operations and positive fan experiences. Example companies that provide this professional service include CupZero, Vytal, Bold Reuse, and r.World.
For bars, breweries, and smaller venues, switching to reusable cups is even simpler. Many already have dishwashing infrastructure in place, making it easy to wash and reuse durable cups on-site. Reusables reduce the need for constant re-ordering of disposables, lower storage demands, cut trash hauling costs, and perform better during high-traffic events like World Cup watch parties. Together, large-event reuse systems and bar-level reuse offer a practical, cost-effective path to dramatically reducing cup waste during the World Cup, without sacrificing convenience, speed, or the fan experience.
With support from a $500 mini-grant from The 5 Gyres Institute, the Zero Waste Miami coalition mobilized to advocate for reuse at the Miami World Cup matches and related events. In November 2025, we submitted a sign-on letter to the Miami Host Committee requesting the inclusion of reuse and refill initiatives at the FIFA Fan Festival, and offering our support with planning and implementation. To amplify this effort, we developed the #KickTheCup campaign, featuring ready-to-share content that empowers organizations and individuals to engage their communities, tag their favorite venues, bars, and event producers, and encourage them to #KickTheCup by swapping disposable cups with reusables at World Cup events.
Join the movement and head to our social media toolkit to participate!
