Belfast Giants fans say £1 reusable cup charge is unfair

A proposed £1 charge for reusable cups in the SSE Arena is "unfair", a Belfast Giants ice hockey fan has said.

Ben Luney, who visits the arena multiple times a week, said that the charge will add up over the course of a season.

"It seems like we're almost paying for the SSE's investment in the scheme, so we're almost covering the amount on their behalf which seems a bit unfair as we can't take the cups home and we can't bring our own so it seems like we've got no other choice but to accept this new scheme," he told BBC News NI.

The SSE Arena described the charge as an "essential to cover operational costs" as it switched from single-use cups to reusable ones.

The charge is not refundable and the arena's operators said it would be used to pay for transporting the cups to be cleaned at "a new state-of-the-art washing facility" in Carryduff.

The arena is one of seven Belfast venues piloting a scheme to remove single-use plastic cups at gigs and events in 2025.

Two other venues involved in the pilot - the Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall - said they would not be charging a levy.

Sharon Ross, who is a Belfast Giants season ticket holder, said it felt like she would "be spending an extra £40 simply on nothing by the end of the year".

She said that while reusable cups are a "brilliant idea", she wasn't happy with the cost.

"I think the way that the SSE are trying to do it is really trying to get the praise of seeming like they're trying to do something for the environment while also trying to cash the profits on top," she said.

Belfast Giants fan Nicola Jones, who helps run Teal Empire - an unofficial ers group - said she saw no upside for people who use the arena.

"I understand the need to create a greener environment, however I don't understand why we have to effectively pay for the trial of the system and paying for the recycling policy," she said.

"There is no benefit in taking the cups back," she said.

"Where is the benefit to me? It's just additional cost."

Ms Jones said she had been to other venues in England where the charge was refunded.

"People were motivated to clear and return the cups or take them home to wash and bring back at another time," she said.

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