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It’s happened to all of us: you walk into an arena like Madison Square Garden and immediately have to spend money. The water bottle you took along for the ride had to be thrown out, so you’ll need to purchase another expensive bottle of water to hydrate while screaming your lungs out during a concert or game.
Well, things are about to change.
The City Council just approved a new bill that will allow ticket holders to bring reusable beverage containers to “professional and collegiate sports venues.” According to the guidelines, the vessel must be made “primarily of aluminum or stainless steel.”
Expected to take effect sometime next year, the bill also calls for the establishment of penalties for venues that fail to comply.
Lest you think you’ll be able to sneak in some wine or alcohol (we don’t blame you, cocktails inside arenas are way too expensive), think again: sports venues will have to make sure your container is empty before entering and restrict the use of any container that holds over 24 ounces of fluid.
As for the reason behind the change, it's all a part of our fight against fossil fuels.
“If we want to adopt good habits then we have to make it easy for them—and that’s what we’re doing today,” said City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, the sponsor of the bill, during a press conference.
A similar rule went into effect at the U.S. Open earlier this year: tournament officials let attendees bring in their own reusable water bottles during each match while also setting up on-site refill stations.
Needless to say, the idea was a hit.
Here’s to hoping the reaction will be the same across the city’s stadiums and arenas.