Time to ban sale of single-use plastic bottles at sporting and other events, tried-and-tested solutions exist already says Bluewater

Stockholm, Sweden, November 16, 2020 – With microplastics now so pervasive they are found in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink from taps and bottles, the events industry has a huge opportunity to be change-makers in helping consumers move from single-use plastic water containers to sustainable alternatives, says Bluewater, a world leader in innovative water purification solutions for homes, commercial enterprises and public dispensing.

Just a week away from participating as a speaker and panellist at the virtual Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2020, Bluewater called on the events industry to do more to prevent plastic entering the water system in the first place.

“Almost 500 billion plastic bottles are used every year, which adds up to 66 bottles for every human on the planet. And with figures showing less than half of those bottles are recycled that means a heck of a lot of those bottles are ending up in our oceans to ultimately become insidious micro plastics,” said Bluewater spokesperson Dave Noble (Photo below).

Noting plastic drinks bottles and cups rank among the biggest waste culprits at festivals, he said solutions do exist to help organisers provide drinking water to event fans without losing potential sources of revenue.

Dave Noble cited the example set at The Open 2019 in Portrush, Northern Ireland, where the R&A organisers were able to completely ban the sale of single use plastic bottles during the four days of golf, which were attended by tens of thousands of golfing fans.

“Some 19 Bluewater hydration stations were sited at key locations for public use around The Open course as well in player, VIP and other hospitality lounges,” Dave Noble explained. He said the visitors were notified in advance that no water would be sold in plastic containers during the event unlike in previous years and fans were advised to either bring their own container or purchase an Open branded stainless-steel bottle on site for under GBP5 to be able to use the water being dispensed free.

“The Open 2019 broke new ground and showed how one of the world’s largest annual sporting events could deliver on a sustainability-driven pledge to end the use of throwaway plastic bottles,” said Dave Noble, who said Bluewater has also proved the efficiency of its water dispensing solutions at other events such as the Volvo Ocean Race, Formula E and Cape Town Marathon. Noble will be representing Bluewater at the Sustainability in Licensing Conference 2020.

The conference, which will be staged digitally 24 – 25 November 2020, is aimed at everyone in the brand and licensing arena, from retailers to licensors, licensees to trade suppliers. Being launched by Max Publishing (owners of Licensing Source Book, Licensing.Source.net, The Licensing Awards and the B&LLAs) and Helena Mansell-Stopher (photo below), experienced licensing executive and founder of Products of Change, a global educational platform to drive sustainable change within industry www.productsofchange.com, the Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SILC 2020) aims to inspire and inform as to how the dynamic sector, which generates US$272 billion at retail, can continue to innovate and grow commercially while not costing the planet.

“Sustainability is so much more than a buzzword, it is and will continue to be, a vital driver of business decisions,” states Helena, conference director and curator.

“To drive sustainable growth within the licensing industry over the next few decades will require a radical approach to business practices be it through embracing new materials and production techniques, re-engineering packaging or adopting new marketing methods, all without sacrificing financial growth. Our aim with SILC 2020 is to help both future-proof our industry and our world.”

For more information about Bluewater and its events activities, please contact Dave Noble, PR & Communications Director, at david.noble@bluewatergroup.com or +44 7785 302 694.

For more information about The Sustainability in Licensing Conference (SILC20) please visit https://www.sustainabilityinlicensing.com; or email clare@createvents.co.uk.

For more information about Products of Change please visit www.productsofchange.com or email hello@productsofchange.com.