Reusable cups replacing recycling at concerts

Michael Martin likes to tell people he sells 'ugly cups.' The hope is no one will like them enough to want to keep them.

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Martin, who runs a reusable serveware company called r.World, tried offering nicer-looking cups as part of his quest to reduce the mountains of plastic bottles left behind at concerts and music festivals. For a small refundable deposit, attendees could get their beer and soft drinks in sturdy cups branded with band logos, a 'Washington Post' report said.

But the deposit system, which had worked in Europe, didn't translate well to the United States. People didn't seem to understand or care that they were supposed to return the cups. They pocketed them as souvenirs. Inline Quotes: "Americans feel like if they pay the deposit, they've bought the cup and have the right to take it home," Martin said.