Belfast venues to get rid of single-use plastic cups in innovative pilot
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Events venues in Belfast are to eliminate single-use plastic cups in a first for Ireland and the UK. Major and grassroots venues including the Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall, SSE Arena, Oh Yeah Centre, Black Box, Voodoo and The MAC will all introduce reusable cups in the coming months as part of a 12-month pilot.
Other venues are lined up to join the next phase of the multi-venue reusable cup rollout, the first of its kind in Ireland or the UK. As part of the scheme, North Down Marquees will deliver the reusable cups to the venues and pick up used ones, which will then be washed in a central washing facility in Carryduff before being redistributed.
The SSE Arena will be the first participating venue to introduce reusable cups, which is expected in mid-January. Dermot McGinn, group head of food and beverage at The Odyssey Trust, said the SSE Arena is “proud” to be the first venue involved in the trial.
He added: “We are pleased to work alongside other forward-thinking venues to tackle single-use plastic waste and support a more sustainable future for entertainment in Northern Ireland.”. Iain Bell – acting chief executive the International Convention & Exhibition Centre Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall – said the initiative wants to tackle “one of the biggest sustainability challenges affecting us all – single use plastic”.
