Liverpool supporters found an unexpected source of extra cash during their Champions League trip to Austria, where LASK's deposit system for reusable drinking cups gave discarded beer cups a cash value.
According to reports, many fans spent the evening and the post-match period gathering cups from the stands and concourses in order to claim the cashback on offer. Returning a reusable container under the Austrian club's deposit arrangement releases the money attached to it.
A plastic-free stadium model
LASK has promoted a plastic-free stadium model and uses a deposit system to encourage the return of reusable containers rather than single-use plastic. The cashback mechanism gives spectators a direct reason to bring cups back instead of leaving them behind after the match.
Wider circular-economy push
UEFA says it is placing greater emphasis on circular-economy measures at its club competitions. Liverpool has also been publicising its own recycling record at Anfield, stating that more than one million plastic bottles have been recycled there over the past three seasons.
The reports did not quantify how much cashback supporters collected during the match. Both the Austrian club's deposit scheme and Liverpool's stated Anfield figures address the same packaging question: what happens to drinks containers once the match is over.