Circular Cups for Community Events in the Southern Region
Find out more about how it works and order cups using the “Order Cups” button below.
A new initiative is underway across the Southern Region to eliminate single use cups at small scale events and festivals.
This initiative will help us deliver one of the key actions of the National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy – 20kg reuse per person annually.
With funding from the 2025 “Anti-Dumping” Initiative a new community-based cup washing service has been established at IRD Duhallow.
The aim of the project is to provide a cup rental service for community-based events and festivals that are organised on a “not for profit” basis.
Each cup can be washed, dried and reused up to 300 times.
Minister of State for Small Business and Retail & Circular Economy launches Circular Cups for Community Events across the Southern Region.
Choosing reusable cups for events and festivals will make a big difference to the environment by preventing waste and reducing litter.
Organisers of small scale events and festivals can now avail of pint, half pint and hot beverage cups with or without lids at a reasonable cost.
The cups are washed, dried and stored at a new cup washing facility based in IRD Duhallow and are available for small scale community events anywhere in Carlow, Clare, Cork City & County, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.
“A reusable cup has a lower environmental impact than a single use cup after less than 3 use”
– Hope Solutions 2017
Here’s how the scheme works
Steps in the scheme
Visitors grab a cup at the collection point or at the bar. Event organisers may choose to charge a one-off refundable deposit to encourage return and to offset cup losses.
When getting your next drink, return your used cup to the bar and get a fresh cup with each drink purchased. This way you only need to pay the refundable deposit once.
When leaving, visitors drop their last used cup back to bar or designated collection point and if a deposit was charged, it will be refunded.
After the event, cups are collected.
The cups are professionally cleaned, dried and stored.
And they are ready for their next event!
Want to rent cups?
Here’s a checklist:
1. Is your event or festival small-scale & not for profit?
2. Is your event/festival happening in Carlow, Clare, Cork City, Cork County, Kerry, Kilkenny, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford?
If yes is the answer to both these questions,
click on this button to order cups: