Toronto, the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the traditional territory of the Chippewa, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee peoples (June 4, 2026) - FIFA has made a short-sighted and environmentally harmful decision to block fans from bringing their own reusable water bottles to games.
FIFA’s last-minute flip flop will worsen the massive piles of single-use garbage expected from the games, in addition to costing fans more money to buy single-use water bottles.
In Toronto, this adds to growing concerns about the event's environmental legacy. TEA’s own calculations show that more than a million disposable items could have been saved in Toronto alone from using reusable cups instead of single-use cups throughout the tournament events.
“For hot summer days, allowing refillable water bottles is just common sense,” says Emily Alfred, Senior Waste Campaigner at Toronto Environmental Alliance. “It keeps fans safe, but it also cuts down on tonnes of waste. If each of the FIFA fans buy water at the game, that will add up to over 225,000 single-use plastic bottles over the 6 matches.”
Instead of supporting host cities in cutting waste and litter, FIFA’s decision reverses the long-standing policy at BMO Field that allows refillable water bottles at games. FIFA’s decision undermines local action by literally banning environmentally friendly actions.
The City of Toronto has stepped up to cut waste in the Fan Festival and areas where the City is in control. The City has funded reusable dishes in some areas at FanFest to reduce waste, and the City has also secured multiple water trucks for fans to refill their own water bottles.
Instead of blocking local action to cut waste, FIFA should instead be stepping up to support efforts like this in Toronto, Vancouver, and other host cities.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Emily Alfred, Senior Campaigner, Toronto Environmental Alliance
(416) 543-1542