Festival and event waste management is a hotter topic than ever before. We all know and understand the need to use recycle bins as much as possible, and doing this at large scale, temporary events, is certainly a challenge for everyone involved.

This is because even though everyone knows what they SHOULD be doing when it comes to their waste, sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

And when it comes to our reusable cup collection bins, it’s very noticeable the difference in what is collected, depending upon where the bins are positioned on site, and what other bins are around them.

Let us explain.

This picture actually shows 2, identical, reusable cup bins on site, at different locations around the site. As you can see, the bin on the left of the picture is full of general waste, cans, plastic bottles, and only a few of our reusable cups. The bin on the right of the image, however, is full of our reusable cups.

So, with the receptacles being identical in shape, size, colour and messaging, why such a difference?

Well, the bin on the left was positioned at one of the main exit points at the event. And, whilst this is not a bad thing in itself, there were no other general waste bins or recycling bins around it. What this tells us is that visitors understand that they need to do SOMETHING with their waste, other than dispose of it on the floor. In this instance, therefore, visitors just disposed of their waste in the nearest, most accessible bin.

The bin on the right-hand side was in the middle of the site, flanked each side by a food packaging waste bin, and a can / plastic bottle bin. This provided all the options for visitors to select the bin for their items, meaning that the cup collection bin was full of reusable cups only.

Use the right bins, in the right places, in the right numbers!

So, the importance of (a) having lots of clearly marked bins, (b) having different bins positioned together and (c) strategically positioning them around the site should never be underestimated.

Discussions such as these are naturally part of the onboarding process that we go through with our clients. We’re here to help you migrate from single use plastics to a reusable cup scheme with the minimum of fuss, so don’t hesitate to get in contact today, where one of our team will be delighted to discuss your specific event or venue requirements in more detail. We look forward to hearing from you soon.