Featured image for The War On Beer Pong Continues With Ball’s Aluminum Cups

The War On Beer Pong Continues With Ball’s Aluminum Cups

by Shawn Binder on 09/09/2019 | 2 Minute Read

The war on beer pong, much like the war on Christmas, rages on. If you’ve enjoyed littering the floors of frat parties like a regressive American version of confetti, we’ve got bad news for you—red plastic cups may be out thanks to an aluminum alternative shaped like the iconic solo variety. 

Ball is leading the charge with their sleek, metallic, with blue die-cut logo, and we’re here for it. Now, football fans and people who enjoy punching their livers to death during a Saturday tailgate can use these endlessly recyclable alternatives that would significantly reduce their carbon footprint. 

"The aluminum cup is a game-changer for the industry," said Sebastian Siethoff, Ball's general manager, to Packaging Digest. "We hope that our customers and consumers view the aluminum cup as a sustainable and easily recyclable alternative to plastic cups, which are currently a mainstay of stadiums, restaurants and beaches and often end up in the trash or on the ground."

Editorial photograph

Clearly, people are no longer fond of plastic, and this shift in perception is set to line Ball’s pockets nicely. Ball's research shows that 67 percent of U.S. consumers say they will visit a venue more often if it uses aluminum cups instead of plastic cups. According to a press release put out by the company, 78 percent expect beverage brands to use environmentally friendly containers in the next five years. 

The cups are a premium compared to traditional red solo cups, the price difference being .25 cents to the plastic’s .17 cents. However, Ball is betting on the younger generation being willing to pay the difference for something sustainable. 

"We think they're willing to make that choice," said John Hayes, chief executive officer of Ball, to Bloomberg. "They know we've polluted our world and they want to do something about it."

The dishwasher safe cups won’t break when you squeeze them too hard during an intense play, and are dishwasher safe, meaning you can keep your ice-cold brews cold time after time. 

Aluminum has always been a beautiful alternative to plastic, with over 75% of all aluminum produced still in use today. A wild number considering we make over 16 billion plastic cups each year. 

Ball’s alternative is a sleek and exciting solution to the red solo cup problem, and we hope professional beer pong players are willing to adapt to the future of their sport.