Our rivals may have a leg up on us when it comes to going 'green.' University of Colorado Boulder is one step closer to being plastic-free at sporting events by 2020, with a sustainable alternative to plastic cups. 

According to Sentinel Colorado, CU will introduce a new recyclable single-use aluminum cup at Saturday's home game, as the university works towards its goal of going plastic-free.

'Only nine percent of... plastic has been recycled properly and 12 percent has been incinerated, leaving the 79 percent remaining in landfills or polluting our oceans and other fragile ecosystems,' CU Boulder's Engineering Center shared on September 3.

'This is why I’m pleased to announce – alongside a host of campus partners and the Ball Corporation – that starting today, the Engineering Center will be the first building on the CU Boulder campus to be 100% plastic-free for single-use beverage containers.'

CU's Folsom Field will be the first college sports venue to have the cups, but in years to come, they may make their way to professional sports venues as well. Will Colorado State, a university focused on sustainable initiatives, follow suit at Canvas Stadium?

'Ball research shows aluminum cans have a global recycling rate of 69%,' Daily Camera reported. 'Aluminum also can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing quality, making it one of the most recycled beverage containers. Seventy-five percent of aluminum ever made is still in use today, according to the news release.'

Read more from Daily Camera and see a photo here.

 

More From K99