Noosa Triathlon Takes a Sustainable Step Forward

In an exciting new initiative, the Noosa Triathlon Multi-Sports Festival has joined the circular economy, with fully compostable ‘BioCups’ to be provided for the 180,000 athlete hydration cups used during the five-day festival.

Instead of using disposable plastic cups for hydration of our athletes, this year we have invested in cups that are sustainably sourced and made from renewable plant resource.

The move to fully compostable athlete hydration cups at the Noosa Triathlon Multi Sport Festival, a partnership between IRONMAN Oceania, Tourism Noosa and Plastic Free Noosa, means that instead of the cups going to landfill, they will be commercially composted and in eight weeks turned into a nutrient rich compost that can be used to grow more crops, returning nutrients to the soil.

IRONMAN Oceania Managing Director Dave Beeche said that the sustainability of all events and playing an active role in the three R’s – reducing, recycling and reusing is a high priority of the organisation moving into the future.

“As an organisation with a large portfolio of events across Oceania, we recognise that we have both a logistical and educational role to play in waste reduction. The use of compostable cups is one part of a bigger organisational strategy. We are looking at all aspects of our operation and are open to new and exciting partnerships to find ways to reduce our environmental footprint.”

Mr Beeche said all athlete hydration cups from the Noosa Triathlon Multi-Sports Festival will be collected in specially signed bins provided on course and at finish lines, and post-event they will be transported by Cleanaway to the Earthborn organic recycling facility in Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast to be turned into a valuable source of compost.

“This initiative at the Noosa Triathlon Multi-Sports Festival is about closing the loop for paper cups and is a very significant step in the future of waste reduction at our events”

“This one initiative the event will divert 1.4 tonnes from landfill and create 7,530-litre bags of nutrient-rich compost. We look forward to working with the athletes competing at the Noosa Festival, opening up the conversation about sustainability at our events and encouraging them to work with us on this initiative to help in reducing waste going to landfill,” he said.

Chad Buxton, Co-ordinator of Plastic Free Noosa welcomes the move and is excited to be a part of this initiative.

“We are stoked that not only are IRONMAN considering what their cups are made of but also where they end up – turning them into a resource instead of rubbish. This represents a huge impact and the innovative commitment we hope to see with more events in Australia and overseas.”