Waste chiefs have called for more experimentation with material sustainability concepts at large events.
Amy Hooper, innovation manager at Biffa Waste Services, said festivals, shows and tournaments offered a “unique opportunity for brands to test new ideas and gather consumer feedback without running a full-fledged trial”.
Commenting within a blog written by printing technology provider Domino, she said there was a far higher chance of observing and controlling consumer behaviour at events than in “the real world”.
Hooper said Biffa staff had gathered “valuable insights” when acting as recycling ambassadors at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“They were able to see first-hand how different items are typically disposed of and explore the reasons behind these choices in real-time,” she said.
“Events allow businesses a unique opportunity to oversee many key aspects of consumer interaction with items – from usage to disposal. It is even possible to create and test scenarios aimed at enabling more control of the end-of-life phase.”
Domino said the average conference attendee generated 1.89kg of waste, of which 1.16kg was typically landfilled.
Its blog concluded: “With growing awareness of the environmental impact of the events industry and increasing consumer demand for sustainable brands and products, there’s never been a better time to use event platforms to innovate, collaborate and trial new ideas and concepts.”
Drinks container disposal campaign Every Can Counts last summer collected more than 100,000 items at festivals across the UK and Ireland (see picture).
