New Yorkers will soon be able to bring their own reusable water bottles into the city’s collection of stadiums and arenas next year. The move is expected to save sports fans money, reduce waste and convince sports fans to bring water bottles wherever they go.
Hundreds of thousands of single-use water bottles are used at New York City’s stadiums and arenas each year, according to estimates from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Under the new bill, ticket holders can attend any professional and collegiate sports venue within the city with a water bottle – so long as it’s made of aluminum or stainless steel and holds no more than 24 fluid ounces of water. The bill is expected to take effect in 2024.
With the city’s seven large professional sports teams – the Yankees, the Mets, the Rangers, the Knicks, the Nets, the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Cyclones – play at least a combined 380 home games each year – the new bill would deter thousands of people from buying single-use water bottles.