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 introduced as “a sensible and galvanizing information for organisers on how you can keep away from single-use plastics”. Presently, 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 answerable for 100,000 tonnes of C02e emissions and 30,000 tonnes of waste that could possibly be prevented. Metropolis to Sea believes that one other manner is feasible and by constructing on business greatest apply they will make reuse and refilling the brand new norm at occasions throughout the UK.
The brand new information provides sensible steerage on how you can 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 industrial 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 simple step-by-step information to how you can have enjoyable and have a drink with out it costing the earth.”
He continued, “Councils have a very vital 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 may encourage reusable cups at occasions of their areas in various alternative ways utilizing each the carrot and the stick.”
One of the best apply 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 consequence of much less bin emptying and litter selecting. It additionally explores group grassroots responses as properly highlighting examples akin to Litterfree Dorset, a group group, that bought 500 cups for native occasions to borrow.
Helen Harland, Sustainability Undertaking Supervisor at Manchester Metropolis Council, added:
“We all know that group occasion organisers have quite a bit to do, usually balancing organisation of an occasion with different priorities, so any help in making the mandatory swap from single-use to reusables is absolutely welcome. Via the supply of our personal occasions and dealing with different organisers, we’ve heard quite a lot of questions when contemplating reusables, so guides like this actually assist to provide organisers the arrogance and data to behave. Each occasion of any dimension that saves single-use cups going into the waste stream is a large step ahead.”
There was vital 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. Nevertheless, there are a selection of limitations that cease small and medium-sized occasions from following go well with.
Taking a look at 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 deliver 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. Right now, 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 obtainable, there’s simply no good cause 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 shortly bought used to the system and see it as an actual optimistic – in our expertise, they’re proud to play a component in lowering the affect 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 industrial composting and that reuse is by far a greater choice.