New Swedish Regulations to Combat Single-Use Plastics at Events

Sweden introduces new regulations to eliminate single-use plastics at festivals and public events starting in 2024.

Key Points

  • • Ban on plastic cups with over 15% plastic from 2024
  • • Organizers must provide reusable food and drink containers
  • • Mandatory waste sorting for packaging waste at events
  • • Plastic confetti banned since April 2022

Starting January 1, 2024, Sweden is enforcing new national regulations targeting single-use plastics and waste management practices at festivals and public events. Notably, these regulations prohibit the sale of plastic cups that contain more than 15% plastic, effectively banning commonly used festival cups. Event organizers will now be required to provide reusable alternatives for food and drink containers.

In addition to the ban on plastic cups, the new regulations mandate proper waste sorting at outdoor events, ensuring that packaging waste is disposed of correctly in designated bins for plastic, paper, glass, and metal, as opposed to standard trash containers. Importantly, the outdoor use of plastic confetti, already banned since April 30, 2022, is part of these environmental efforts.

A recent survey from Håll Sverige Rent indicated that only 10% of Swedes are aware of the confetti ban, though a significant 90% support an outright ban on plastic confetti sales. Johanna Ragnartz, CEO of Håll Sverige Rent, stressed the necessity for event organizers to not only comply with these regulations but also to effectively communicate them to attendees and exhibitors to ensure success in this initiative.