John Reeves, director of Event Cup Solutions, says: “In an industry first, the ECS hire range includes reusable coffee cups, beer, wine and champagne cups, which are all manufactured in the UK, and a range of food trays and boxes, as well as pasta pots.
“The products are delivered, nationwide, in hygienically sealed tote boxes, by our own fleet of vehicles, from one of our four state-of-the-art wash facilities, travelling the shortest distances possible.
“All of the reusable cups and food-to-go packaging can be washed more than 500 times and are recyclable at their end of life. Ideal for venues, events and festivals, ECS' rental solution is also suitable for any hospitality and foodservice business looking to move away from single-use plastics.
“Even though the hospitality and events sector is currently braced in lockdown we believe that, once the restrictions are lifted and it becomes safe to operate once again, the demand for more sustainable and hygienic food and beverage packaging solutions will be even greater.
“Our product range also offers hospitality providers an opportunity to turn a cost into a brand new revenue stream.
“We know that consumers are willing to accept a small levy on reusable drinks cups and food-to-go boxes knowing that these products will be washed and used many times over, thereby reducing the use of single-use products.
“For foodservice and hospitality businesses, this levy will completely offset the cost of the service, making it both environmentally and economically compelling,” he adds.
The cups are made from polycarbonate sourced from UK-based factories, meaning that the material is traceable. As ECS also knows the cups have only ever been used for food use, when they come to end of life they can be reground in the factories and put the material back into production.
The food containers are made from polypropylene, and while these cannot be made back into food containers they are recycled into non-food grade plastics at end of life.