Reusable cups at festivals and events: tracking the 90% return rule
How festivals and events run reusable cup schemes with Rotion, and how Flanders' VLAREMA rule of at least 90% collection for reuse is evidenced.
Last updated: 29 September 2026
Rotion is tracking software for reusable cups and serviceware at festivals and events. Cups get a batch or item identity, bars issue them, return points and cup banks take them back, and Rotion counts both sides per bar, per return point, and per event day. That count is the evidence an organiser needs for a collection-for-reuse rule such as the one in Flanders.
At a glance
- In Flanders, drinks at events may only be served in reusable containers since 1 January 2025.
- The organiser must run a system that gets at least 90% of reusable cups and serviceware collected for reuse (VLAREMA Art. 5.3.12.4).
- Glass and porcelain are excluded from that 90% rule.
- Rotion counts cups out and cups back per event, so the return rate is measured, not estimated.
What do the Flemish event rules require?
In Flanders, drinks at events may only be served in reusable containers since 1 January 2025, and single-use cups have been banned at events since 15 June 2023. When an event uses reusable cups or serviceware, VLAREMA Art. 5.3.12.4 requires a system that gets at least 90% of them collected for reuse. The event organiser carries that duty.
| Date | Rule for events in Flanders |
|---|---|
| Since 15 June 2023 | Single-use cups banned; PET bottles and cans only with at least 95% separate collection for recycling |
| Since 1 January 2025 | Only reusable drink containers; the PET and can exception has expired |
| Ongoing | At least 90% of reusable containers and serviceware collected for reuse, glass and porcelain excluded |
Source: OVAM, the Flemish waste agency, on catering material legislation and its FAQ on catering material. Verify the current text with OVAM before relying on it.
Why is the 90% rule a tracking problem?
The Flemish 90% collection rule is a return rate, and a return rate needs two counts: how many reusable cups went out to visitors and how many came back for reuse. A festival that only counts cups at the wash partner knows what came back, not what went out, so it cannot show the percentage. Rotion records both counts at the moment the cups move.
How does Rotion track cups across bars, return points, and event days?
Rotion gives cups an identity per batch, which suits low-value cups at festival volume, or per item where a deposit or a premium cup calls for it. Bars scan batches out, return points and cup banks scan them back, and the wash partner scans them in. Balances per bar, per return point, and per event day update with every scan.
| Step | Who scans | What Rotion records |
|---|---|---|
| Stock to bar | Bar or logistics team | Batch out, bar balance up |
| Issue to visitors | Bar | Cups in circulation per bar and day |
| Return | Return point, cup bank, or bar | Cups back, return count per point |
| Wash | Wash partner | Cups in wash, losses and breakage recorded |
| Next day or next event | Logistics team | Clean stock back in the pool |
Identity levels are explained in asset identification, and the scan flows in reusable takeaway container tracking.
Should a festival use deposits or free returns?
Both work in Rotion. A deposit gives visitors a reason to bring the cup back and is charged on issue and released on return; see deposit management. A free-return scheme skips the money flow and relies on convenient return points. Either way Rotion keeps the same counts, so the return rate stays measurable whichever model the organiser picks.
How does a cup pool move between events?
A cup pool is not tied to one event. Because every batch has an identity, the same pool can serve a festival one weekend and a city event the next, and Rotion keeps the balance per event, per bar, and per return point. Fill levels at return points are visible during the event, so collection runs happen before a cup bank overflows.
What does the organiser get at the end of an event?
The organiser gets cups issued, cups returned, and cups lost or broken, per event and per day, with the return rate calculated from those counts. That record supports the conversation with the municipality or OVAM about the 90% rule, and it shows where the losses happened: which bar, which return point, which hour.
Does the EU PPWR also apply to events?
The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) sets takeaway duties for horeca final distributors, including from 12 February 2027 accepting customers' own containers and from 12 February 2028 offering reusable packaging. Whether a given event bar counts as such a final distributor depends on its setup. See PPWR rules for takeaway packaging.
Does Rotion give legal advice?
No. Rotion is software, not counsel. Rotion measures the return rate; the organiser stays responsible for meeting the rule. Check event obligations with OVAM, your municipality, and the official text of the regulations before making compliance decisions.
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