Liverpool supporters reportedly found an unexpected way to earn money during their Champions League away trip to Austria: collecting discarded reusable beer cups at LASK's stadium and redeeming the deposits. According to reports, many fans spent the evening and the period after the match gathering cups from stands and concourses to claim the cashback.
The Austrian club has promoted a plastic-free stadium model and operates a deposit system intended to encourage the return of reusable drinking containers. In practice, the scheme put a cash value on each cup, giving spectators an incentive to bring containers back rather than leave them behind.
The episode also reflects broader efforts by football organisations to address packaging waste. UEFA claims to be placing greater emphasis on circular-economy measures at its club competitions. Liverpool has separately publicised its own recycling record at Anfield, stating that more than one million plastic bottles have been recycled there over the past three seasons.
The reports did not specify how many cups were collected or how much money supporters received. They also did not quantify the environmental benefit of the returns. Still, the scene shows how deposit-return systems can mobilise fans around container recovery when a refund is attached.