Liverpool supporters travelling to Austria for a Champions League match against LASK found an unexpected source of income in the stadium's deposit system for reusable drinking cups, according to reports.
Fans gathered discarded cups from stands and concourses during the evening and after the match to claim the cashback offered under the scheme. The deposits turned leftover beer cups into money for those willing to collect them.
LASK has promoted a plastic-free stadium model and uses a deposit system to encourage the return of reusable containers. The approach is intended to reduce single-use waste by attaching a refundable value to each cup.
UEFA says it is placing greater emphasis on circular-economy measures at its club competitions. The governing body's position provides context for the Austrian club's system.
Liverpool has also been publicising its own recycling record at Anfield, saying more than one million plastic bottles have been recycled there over the past three seasons. The club's figure covers its home ground, while the Austrian episode involved away supporters and LASK's match-day operations.
The deposit model gives spectators a direct incentive to return containers. In this case, the incentive was strong enough to prompt supporters to collect cups left by others. No figures were given for the number of cups returned or the money collected.
The episode illustrates how return systems can work in practice at large sporting events, while also showing that results depend on spectator behaviour and match-day logistics. LASK's plastic-free ambitions and UEFA's circular-economy focus provide the wider setting for the fans' cup-collecting activity.