There isn’t any excuse for single-use cups to nonetheless be used at occasions in accordance with the environmental not-for-profit Metropolis to Sea which has launched a information “Options on Faucet: A Information to Decreasing Waste and Introducing Reusable Cup Schemes at Occasions”.
The brand new information for small and medium-sized occasions is introduced as “a sensible and galvanizing information for organisers on the way to keep away from single-use plastics”. At present, over 100 million single-use plastic cups are used yearly at UK festivals and reside occasions, and most of those are incinerated or despatched to landfill. The trade’s 100 million plastic cups are liable for 100,000 tonnes of C02e emissions and 30,000 tonnes of waste that may very well be averted. Metropolis to Sea believes that one other manner is feasible and by constructing on trade greatest apply they’ll make reuse and refilling the brand new norm at occasions throughout the UK.
The brand new information gives sensible steerage on the way to introduce measures like deposit return schemes for reusable cups in addition to busting myths round bioplastics and outlining greatest practices already occurring throughout the trade.
Matt Mellen, Metropolis to Sea’s Refill Marketing campaign Supervisor, commented saying:
“Like so many Brits I’ve been going with my household to small occasions, beer festivals, church fetes in addition to one or two bigger business festivals. The very last thing any of us wish to see is single-use plastic littering the ground. Whereas bigger festivals have improved lately smaller festivals nonetheless want a little bit of help. With this information in place, there may be actually no excuse for single-use cups at occasions this summer time. It’s a straightforward step-by-step information to the way to have enjoyable and have a drink with out it costing the earth.”
He continued, “Councils have a very necessary position to play right here. A primary step that councils can take is to cease utilizing single-use plastics at their very own occasions. Councils also can encourage reusable cups at occasions of their areas in plenty of other ways utilizing each the carrot and the stick.”
The very best apply consists of Manchester Meals and Drink Competition which swapped out single-use for reusable cups in 2019. The competition reported a 40% saving in waste administration prices as a result of much less bin emptying and litter selecting. It additionally explores group grassroots responses as properly highlighting examples resembling Litterfree Dorset, a group group, that bought 500 cups for native occasions to borrow.
Helen Harland, Sustainability Challenge Supervisor at Manchester Metropolis Council, added:
“We all know that group occasion organisers have so much to do, usually balancing organisation of an occasion with different priorities, so any help in making the required change from single-use to reusables is actually welcome. Via the supply of our personal occasions and dealing with different organisers, we’ve heard numerous questions when contemplating reusables, so guides like this actually assist to offer organisers the boldness and information to behave. Each occasion of any dimension that saves single-use cups going into the waste stream is a big step ahead.”
There was important advances lately from bigger festivals. Analysis for The Present Should Go on Report in 2020 discovered that 3 in 4 music festivals now use reusable cups – up from half of festivals in 2015. Nonetheless, there are a selection of boundaries that cease small and medium-sized occasions from following go well with.
occasions on a bigger scale the report highlights Shambala, a UK competition, that runs two campaigns to encourage reusables. There’s no water on the market at Shambala and prospects are requested to convey an empty bottle or purchase one on-site and fill it up at water factors. In 2019, Shambala merchants charged 25p for single-use espresso cups and provides a reduction for reusable cups. As we speak, all single-use cups are banned.
Becka Whiteley, Director of Shambala, commented on the report launch saying:
“We banned disposable bar cups again in 2010 as a part of our dedication to being single-use plastic-free. With loads of different, reusable options out there, there’s simply no good motive to nonetheless be utilizing single-use cups at your bars. With 15,000 folks at Shambala, even when everybody solely had a few drinks from the bar a day, that’s an enormous quantity of completely avoidable waste going to landfill. Our viewers rapidly received used to the system and see it as an actual optimistic – in our expertise, they’re proud to play a component in lowering the influence of the competition.”
The information additionally slams ‘false options’ like “bioplastic” cups. The information says that these are unable to be recycled and are not often collected again in for business composting and that reuse is by far a greater choice.
