Today we’re looking at reusable cup systems and how they are currently visited in the festivals and events sector. We all now know, and are aware, that single use plastics represent bad news. The popularity of plastic, where it really started to boom, goes back to the 1960s and since then, it has become commonplace in pretty much every walk of society.

OK, so we also know that we should be recycling our plastic bottles and containers, However, not all can be recycled and, let’s face it, not everyone recycles. As a result, a lot of plastic ends up in landfill which will take generations to break down or, worse still, end up in our oceans where it causes danger to marine life and brings with it a whole host of other problems and issues at the same time. In a nutshell, it’s bad news.

Should festivals move to reusable cup systems?

Temporary events, most notably festivals, of course by their very nature have been large-scale users of one use pints and half pints and not always embraced reusable cup systems. Bar operators, festival organisers, stadium owners and others have used – and still use – single use cups because, put simply, it is cheap and easy to use. Events pretty much know how many pints they will sell, and so it’s just a case of ordering that amount of plastic cups to cater for each event. What happens to them afterwards, however, is where the issue really lies. Surely the time to check out reusable cup systems was already a few years ago!

With (long overdue) incoming levies and taxes on single use plastic, however, we may now be able to take the word ‘cheap’ out of the equation. Easy, yes, but cheap, no.

With an endless number of reasons from a sustainability point of view, as well as the fact that single use plastic cups will become increasingly expensive, therefore, it stands to reason that reusable cups represent the way forward. The problem is, however, that reusable cups are seen as costly and difficult to use. This is because often the message doesn’t get over to customers in a clear and concise way, and bar operators don’t want people joining a long queue at the bar, just to reimburse them with their £1 deposit.

So, reusable cup systems are expensive and confusing? Yes, until now.

Reusable cup systems are where it’s at!

This is the whole reason why the ONE Planet ONE Chance® reusable cup system was born – to make it easy for festivals and large-scale events to switch over to reusable cups by keeping it simple and affordable.

You’ll find that we don’t simply provide you with reusable cup hire. We provide the complete solution when it comes to implementing a reusable cup scheme at your event, from the pre-event communications on social media and your website, through to marketing POS on site, cup crews and staff to ensure that your on-site bars are keep fully stocked with reusable cups during your event. And, most importantly, there’s no unwelcome surprises at the end of your event – you won’t be hit with a loss charge for any cups that haven’t been returned.

All this, yes, is a change of concept. Our system is deliberately designed to disrupt the current model, which doesn’t work.

How you use the system is up to you. Some ask for a £1 deposit with the cup and then return it at the end of the event. some ask for a £1 deposit which the user can donate to charity at the end of the event by dropping into a cup return bin.

However you choose to use the system, rest assured that in the background, for every 1,000 cups returned at your event, we will plant a tree in the UK through our tree planing initiative with SQSTR – ensuring that our system is carbon neutral, from start to finish.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us today to discuss how we can help your event move from a single use plastic model through to carbon-neutral reusable cup systems which are leading the way in the sector.