Montreal Canadiens and Rio Tinto join forces to green the game with infinitely recyclable aluminium cups

The Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, is teaming up with Rio Tinto to bring infinitely recyclable cups made from aluminium to sporting and entertainment events.

This five-year partnership is part of the Montreal Canadiens' "The Goal is Green" initiative, presented by Banque Nationale. The initiative aims to reduce the organisation's environmental impact, promote the use of green and renewable resources, and encourage fans to do the same.

Groupe CH's Executive Vice President and Chief Operations and venues Officer, Daniel Trottier, expressed the significance of the partnership. He stated that as fans head to the Bell Centre to support the Canadiens, they walk through La Cour Rio Tinto, where the team's history is celebrated. The partnership with Rio Tinto, their next-door neighbour, is fitting as it will provide the aluminium needed to reduce the environmental footprint and encourage fans to do the same.

These new aluminium cups are expected to replace 1.5 million single-use plastic cups annually. This amounts to around 24 tonnes of plastic, equivalent to a fully loaded large truck, being removed from the environment. The city of Montreal banned the use of single-use plastics earlier this year.

Sébastien Ross, Managing Director of Aluminium Atlantic Operations at Rio Tinto, emphasised that the low-carbon aluminium they produce in Québec is reusable, traceable, and infinitely recyclable. Rio Tinto's hydro-powered operations in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean, with over 4,000 employees, have some of the world's lowest carbon aluminium. While the partnership is effective immediately, the cups made of 100% locally sourced aluminium from Rio Tinto will be available to fans by the end of 2023, featuring a new, original design.

This partnership strengthens the long-standing relationship between the Montreal Canadiens and Rio Tinto. In the past, Rio Tinto supported the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation BLEU BLANC BOUGE programme, including sponsoring an outdoor, refrigerated multisport rink in Saguenay. This rink provides local families better access to sports activities while promoting healthy lifestyles. Both organisations also share La Cour Rio Tinto, a courtyard space in front of the Bell Centre and Rio Tinto's Montreal hub.

This partnership shows the commitment of both organisations to transition toward a greener future with low-carbon and locally sourced procurement, which will contribute to the sustainability of the Bell Centre.