During the summer, thousands of people attend open-air festivals and large concerts, generating a significant amount of cup waste. Despite organizers' announcements and the legal obligation for reusability, many of these containers end up being single-use.
The Zero Waste Alliance, comprising 130 social and neighborhood entities, has requested the Ministry for Ecological Transition to use the revision of the packaging and packaging waste decree to address the legal loophole. The entity warns that the concept of 'reusable cup' has become a product sold to consumers, but not part of a real system of return, cleaning, and recirculation.
"A cup is not reusable because it's thicker or carries a sustainability message. It is if it's returned, washed, and circulated again. Without return, there is no reuse," states Rosa García, spokesperson for the Zero Waste Alliance.
Royal Decree 1055/2022 mandates since July 1, 2023, that event promoters must implement alternatives to single-use packaging. If reusable cups are chosen, they must comply with standard UNE-EN 13429:2005, and any deposits charged must be returned. However, the Zero Waste Alliance believes the current framework does not sufficiently define what constitutes a truly reused cup, allowing many to function as risky products.
The new European Regulation 2025/40, applicable from August 2026, and the new royal decree the Ministry is preparing, offer an opportunity to prevent the indiscriminate distribution of single-use items, including cups, straws, and plastic-coated cardboard plates.
The entity's demands include legally defining an effective reuse system, making the actual return of cups mandatory, ensuring clear consumer information, establishing traceability and verifiable data, implementing inspection and sanctions, conditioning public aid and sponsorships to real systems, and protecting operators who comply to prevent unfair competition.
"If we are unable to guarantee that a reusable cup is truly reused, we will hardly be able to build credible policies for waste prevention and a circular economy," concludes García.
