320,000 Reusable Cups for the Eurovision Song Contest

(eap) At the ongoing Eurovision Song Contest 2025 (ESC) in Basel, Switzerland – the grand final of which is set to take place tomorrow at the city’s St. Jakobshalle – a reusable cup system designed to handle high visitor volumes has been implemented to support sustainable catering. Around 320,000 hard plastic cups have been provided by the Swiss-based Cup Systems AG, which is acting as the official reuse partner of the event. The goal is to keep waste production to a minimum during the week-long event, which began last Saturday and is expected to attract some 500,000 visitors.

Strict sustainability requirements apply to the large-scale event, which is not only taking place in the St. Jakobshalle but also across various other venues throughout the city. For food and beverages, the use of reusable tableware is mandatory in almost all cases. Cup Systems AG is part of the German Cup Concept Mehrwegsysteme GmbH network and is responsible not only for supplying the cups, but also for managing the entire logistical process – including distribution to catering outlets, collection, and professional cleaning. The cups are made of dishwasher-safe hard plastic and are subject to a deposit system. This is intended to ensure the closed-loop reuse cycle while preventing financial losses for vendors. All official distribution points accept cup returns, and a centrally organized cleaning service is part of the setup.

Comparable logistical demands are also found in many European amusement parks, where large numbers of guests must be catered for. Some parks have already implemented centralised reusable systems, although single-use packaging remains common in many cases. Since 1 January 2023, foodservice and catering businesses (also those in leisure parks) across the EU have been required to offer reusable alternatives for takeaway food and beverages – with exemptions applying only to small businesses with fewer than five employees and no more than 80 square metres of retail space. The ESC in Basel serves as a clear example of how a consistent reuse system can be successfully implemented even at events with very high attendance. ■