NEWS: Rock On, Plastic Off: Orlando’s Kia Center Joins Ocean Conservancy’s Reuse Movement

ORLANDO, Fla. — Drinks will be served in reusable cups at Olivia Rodrigo’s Nov. 15 and 16 concerts at Orlando’s Kia Center as part of Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play Tour. The two concerts are the first Florida stop on the tour, which Ocean Conservancy launched with GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership) in 2025 to help sports and entertainment venues cut down on single-use plastics as part of Ocean Conservancy’s broader Protect Where We Play initiative. The initiative leverages the reach of athletes, artists and events to mobilize millions of fans in support of ocean conservation.

“Pollution from single-use plastics is a huge problem here in Florida, so switching to reusable cups is a great way venues and fans can work together to cut waste before it reaches our waterways,” said J.P. Brooker, Ocean Conservancy’s senior director of Florida conservation. “Just this week, Ocean Conservancy published research showing that what we throw away inland can make its way to the ocean in relatively little time by way of streams and rivers.”

The tour stop comes on the heels of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, held every September since 1986. The most recent data from Florida showed that volunteers collected more than 19,000 plastic beverage bottles, nearly 68,000 plastic bottle caps, and nearly 13,000 plastic cups and plates across the state in 2025 alone. 

At the Kia Center, Keep Orlando Beautiful volunteers will be stationed at bins throughout the arena to help concertgoers return their cups to be washed and served to another fan at a future tour stop.

“Music venues play a pivotal role in the fight against plastic pollution,” said Madison Szathmary, Coordinator for Keep Orlando Beautiful. “We are excited to give fans the opportunity to participate in the reuse movement in a way that is easy and fun. Every Orlando resident can make a difference – whether that’s at work, school or even a concert!”

“Our collaboration on the Protect Where We Play Tour is about turning shared sustainability ambitions into practical action,” said Kristen Fulmer, executive director of GOAL and global head of sustainability at Oak View Group, a leading venue operator. “Through the initiative, we’re excited to help pilot reuse programs, learn alongside venue partners, and demonstrate how successful approaches can be scaled across the sports and entertainment industry – even in markets that are not currently GOAL members. Lasting progress happens when we work beyond our own walls and make it easier for the entire industry to move forward.”

Ocean Conservancy has worked to reduce plastic pollution in Orlando through its partnership with the city and the University of Georgia’s Circularity Informatics Lab, which conducted a Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP) in 2023. The protocol tracks how plastics enter a community, how they are used and where they end up. It shows how common disposable plastics are in the community. Preliminary results for Orlando found that 97% of stores surveyed offered plastic takeaway bags and that plastic fragments, tobacco products and plastic food packaging were among the most common items found in local litter surveys. 

Ocean Conservancy has also brought its Plastic Free Cities program to Orlando after a successful run in Miami. In Miami-Dade, more than 240 students participated in the program and visited more than 100 businesses to help them find ways to use less plastic. Their efforts helped prevent more than 1.2 million plastic items from being purchased and distributed annually across the county. 

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:

J.P. Brooker, Ocean Conservancy’s senior director of Florida conservation, is available for interviews via ZOOM on Thursday, Friday and Monday to discuss how the reusable cup program will work at Kia Center and how it can help reduce single-use waste. To arrange an interview, contact Sabrina Hennessey at [email protected] 

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Photos of the reusable cups from previous tour stops are available here (scroll down): https://oceanconservancy.mediavalet.com/portals/ProtectWhereWePlay_MediaToolkit 

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY  

For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram. 

ABOUT PROTECT WHERE WE PLAY

Protect Where We Play is Ocean Conservancy’s bold, new initiative that aims to inspire a new wave of fan engagement and action by leveraging the sports and entertainment industries as a first entry point to activate a broader and more diverse array of “Team Ocean” advocates. You can watch the sizzle reel here, read Forbes’ coverage of the launch here, and Pollstar’s Earth Day coverage on the origin story of this initiative here. For more information, visit protectwhereweplay.com.