No excuse for single-use cups at festivals: New information goals to assist

There is no such thing as a excuse for single-use cups to nonetheless be used at occasions in response to the environmental not-for-profit Metropolis to Sea which has launched a information “Options on Faucet: A Information to Lowering Waste and Introducing Reusable Cup Schemes at Occasions”.

The brand new information for small and medium-sized occasions is offered as “a sensible and galvanizing information for organisers on the right way to keep away from single-use plastics”. At the moment, over 100 million single-use plastic cups are used yearly at UK festivals and dwell occasions, and most of those are incinerated or despatched to landfill. The business’s 100 million plastic cups are chargeable for 100,000 tonnes of C02e emissions and 30,000 tonnes of waste that might be averted. Metropolis to Sea believes that one other manner is feasible and by constructing on business greatest follow they’ll make reuse and refilling the brand new norm at occasions throughout the UK.

The brand new information affords sensible steerage on the right 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 business.

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 in recent times smaller festivals nonetheless want a little bit of assist. With this information in place, there’s actually no excuse for single-use cups at occasions this summer time. It’s a straightforward step-by-step information to the right way to have enjoyable and have a drink with out it costing the earth.”

He continued, “Councils have a very necessary function to play right here. A primary step that councils can take is to cease utilizing single-use plastics at their very own occasions. Councils may also encourage reusable cups at occasions of their areas in a lot of alternative ways utilizing each the carrot and the stick.”

The most effective follow contains 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 neighborhood grassroots responses as properly highlighting examples reminiscent of Litterfree Dorset, a neighborhood group, that bought 500 cups for native occasions to borrow.

Helen Harland, Sustainability Mission Supervisor at Manchester Metropolis Council, added:

“We all know that neighborhood occasion organisers have loads to do, usually balancing organisation of an occasion with different priorities, so any assist in making the mandatory swap from single-use to reusables is actually welcome. By way of the supply of our personal occasions and dealing with different organisers, we’ve heard loads of questions when contemplating reusables, so guides like this actually assist to provide organisers the boldness and information to behave. Each occasion of any measurement that saves single-use cups going into the waste stream is a large step ahead.”

There was vital advances in recent times 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. Nevertheless, there are a variety of limitations 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 clients are requested to carry 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. At the moment, 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 cause to nonetheless be utilizing single-use cups at your bars. With 15,000 individuals 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 shortly obtained used to the system and see it as an actual optimistic – in our expertise, they’re proud to play an element 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 hardly ever collected again in for business composting and that reuse is by far a greater possibility.