top of page
REUSABLE CUPS IN ARTIS
Context
In the Netherlands, approximately 3 billion disposable drinking cups are used every year. Only 1% of this is recycled, the rest is incinerated or used for landfill. This is only one example of the current economic system, as the majority of consumer goods is based on single-use, meaning a lot of valuable material is wasted. We cannot proceed this way, as this will result in the depletion of available raw materials. The Dutch government is aware of this ending system and has come up with the Dutch National Waste Management Plan, promoting the transition towards a fully circular economy by the year 2050, in which material isn't wasted, but used over and over again.
Background
ARTIS strives to follow the circularity goals of the government and has set its own sustainable mission to reduce its residual waste flow to less than 5% by 2030. One challenge that needs to be addressed in this mission is the current large residual waste stream of disposable drinking cups in the catering industry of ARTIS. In this industry, cardboard drinking cups with a plastic coating on the inside are used for tea, coffee and post-mix beverages in the park. This combination of materials makes it practically impossible to separate the materials after use, leading to all drinking cups being incinerated. To tackle this challenge, ARTIS has set up a Living Lab together with our team, a group of three students from the Master Metropolitan Analysis and Design. An important requirement for the Living Lab was that the product must comply to ARTIS' objective to involve visitors in the journey to sustainability.
Background
Challenge
Our challenge
Our challenge is the transition towards a circular economy model in ARTIS. Based on time constraints, the scope of the Living Lab is set on making the current system of drinking cups in the park more circular. Therefore, the overall goal of the Living Lab is to set up a list of guidelines that should be considered when implementing a circular system for drinking cups in ARTIS, with the aim to reduce the residual waste flow in the park.
To reach this goal, a circular system of drinking cups had to be designed, tested and evaluated in the enclosed system of ARTIS.
bottom of page