Thought we already went all out last year during ADE?
We weren’t stopping there. Following 2022’s boundary-pushing #PlasticFreeParty album, last month we took our ADE efforts to new heights. To mark the one year anniversary of the industry-breaking #PlasticFreeParty, what better way to raise a glass to our plastic-free partners than with a cup that says F*CK FOSSIL FUEL?
Following in the legendary footsteps of the world’s first bacteria-made vinyl (hey #PlasticFreeParty, we’re looking at you), the inspiration for our fossil-free reusable event cups was a no-brainer. Partnering up with eco-warriors Monkey Project to promote this ultimate eco beverage container, we made it our mission to premiere a reusable cup that will REVOLUTIONISE the future of dance parties.
Working with local Netherlands-based PHA production experts Happy Cups, the cups are derived from the living bacteria present in recycled cooking oil to produce a strong, durable PHA material (PHBH) that is biodegradable, compostable and recyclable. Yes, all 3! This circularity aspect not only preserves the valuable sugar resources needed to feed the world, but also means that under natural conditions, the microbes will be effortlessly dissolved, digested and regenerated in any environment, including the ocean.
Happy by name and by nature, PHA cups also do not splinter into sharp bits like their fossil fuel counterparts: better for the party and better for the planet!
This move is just one of many steps in the world of circular event innovation striving to keep the heart of our music industry beating for decades to come. And what better place to premiere the cup than the BLOND:ISH & Friends evening, right at the beating heart of electronic music-in-the-making: Amsterdam Dance Event. A strong signal in favour of radical transformation, championed by one of the industry’s top driving forces for a fossil-free future.
“It wasn’t easy, but the Plastic Free Party is finally here! With Bye Bye Plastic, we always wanted to help take care of nature starting with single use plastic first. Plastic never helped, so we're doing our part, especially this year at ADE," shared BLOND:ISH. "With help from our friends at Monkey Project and Happy Cups, we're saying bye bye to fossil fuels and saying hello to PHA cups. These cups are made from bacteria and are way better than bioplastic cups. And the best part, we don't need to do anything to break them down. We're making little steps, but these steps are making a big change for our festivals, starting at my parties!”
For a total of 3600 cups debuted at ADE, 30 were missing and 51 had broken by the time the event came to a close.
That’s a loss and broken rate of 2.3% - infinitely better than the guaranteed 100% of single-use plastic cups destined for landfill pre Plastic Free Party…and a promising improvement compared to most open-air festivals with loss & broken rates between 5-15%. And the Plastic Free Party is just getting started!
"Debuting these circular PHA cups during ADE is a massive evolution in our journey to change dancefloors for the better,” said Camille Guitteau, co-founder & M.D. at Bye Bye Plastic Foundation. “In everything we do, we uncompromisingly work to address two main topics: the single-use and the fossil-fuel plastic culture. This innovation perfectly solves both, while providing a seamless, unchanged experience for dancers & event organizers alike. With this ground-breaking innovation we’re well on track to completely build the #PlasticFreeParty - a milestone that could not have been reached without the cooperation of equally eco-minded trail-blazers, like Happy Cups of course, and dedicated event collective Monkey Project. The plastic-free dancefloor is here to share today, and we know you’re going to love it."
With this circular, bio-based (but firstly reusable!) drinking cup, the future of partying is plastic-free. Ready to join the revolution? Help Bye Bye Plastic’s mission to bring shiny new innovation to the music sector by supporting us with a donation here.
Head still in a spin over what biodegradable actually means? Check out our previous post explaining the all-important differences here.
Learn more about the trailblazing partners making our plastic-free dreams a reality: Monkey Project and Happy Cups.