Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): From the month of June 2023 onward each festival organsied within the Flanders and Walloon regions of Belgium will have to make use of reusable cups. This is a huge step that has also resultantly brought about penalties against Tomorrowland for using disposable cups while on the other hand Ecocup is expects higher orders this is indicative of how sustainability is beginning to be embraced in Belgium.Â
In Flanders it applies to all festivals since 15 June 2023 and Wallonia from 1 September 2023 people must use plastic cups.VAMI 2024 Flemish festivals could ask for an exemption as they were new to the requirement but in it was decided that by and large everyone would use reusable cups except Tomorrowland.Tomorrowland used disposable cups and is now fined 500,000 euros a day for each day it fails to comply with the rules with a maximum fine set at 2 million euros.
How is Belgian society adapting to the reusable cup mandate?
In 2021 Ecocup which is in Liège let 20 million of its usable cups rental cups. Said Christophe Lampertz the Director of Ecocup Belgium they expect to hire about 25 to 28 million cups next year. The demand for their services and products is rising as shown by this increase in rentals. OVAM pointed out that if the cups are reused ten times the environmental benefit is clear. This includes transporting cups to and from washing facilities explained Jan Verheyen who speaks for the Dutch speaking part of Belgiums government.statement by Jan Verheyen who speaks for Dutch speaking part of Belgiums government. OVAM also mentioned the big decrease in trash. Events like the Ghent Festivities produce 40% less leftover waste and street cleaners pick up 60% less trash because of reusable cups. At music festivals the waste reduction is even higher reaching 63% per person. When organizers use a deposit system 90 to 95% of cups are returned. Without a deposit the return rate is between 70 to 90%.
