The North Face Cuts Disposable Cups from Endurance Challenge Races

(Photo Credit: HydraPak)

by | May 24, 2018

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The North Face disposable reusable cups

(Photo Credit: HydraPak)

The North Face committed to going cupless for its Endurance Challenge Series (ECS), five ultra trail running races that take place across the United States this year. Normally around 140,000 disposable cups total would get dispensed to runners during these endurance events.

Instead, each registered runner will receive a HydraPak SpeedCup that can be reused at aid stations along the course, according to The North Face. HydraPak was also named the official hydration sponsor for the race series, which takes place in Washington, DC, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and California.

“We designed the SpeedCup when we saw how much waste was being generated at aid stations during races,” said Morgan Makowski, HydraPak’s marketing director. SpeedCups are lightweight and collapsible cups made from 100% BPA- and PVC-free thermoplastic polyurethane that HydraPak says are ultra-durable and abrasion resistant.

Cupless racing that minimizes debris and offers faster, more efficient aid stations is big in Europe and growing in North America, The North Face says.

“Reducing our environmental impact in the ECS is an important step,” said James Rogers, the brand’s director of sustainability. “Not only are we reducing waste with reusable cups, but we’re helping educate runners and other event hosts about different environmental impacts.”

Earlier in May, The North Face launched a collection of t-shirts and tote bags made out of cotton and recycled plastic bottles that had been collected from several national parks’ waste streams. The brand says that their Bottle Source program has gathered more than 160,000 pounds of plastic bottles from Yosemite, Grand Teton, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks so far.

Pursuing a circular business model is key for VF Corporation, which owns The North Face brand. In February, the company’s vice president of global corporate sustainability told Environmental Leader about successful takeback programs at The North Face stores.

“Consumers come back with lightly used jackets, shoes, clothes, and they get some type of incentive to purchase something new,” she said. “We take those products and, through a third party, clean, resell, and recycle them.”


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