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digests it in an anaerobic plant , where the resulting gas is harvested and used to heat , cool , and power the venue and the two on-site hotels .
All changes implemented at the venue were led by a company called Alliance , a leading supplier of catering disposables , with venue changes implemented by P & J Live ’ s group company , ASM Global . With the new law coming into effect over the summer period , traditionally a quiet time for arenas since artists are out performing at festivals , P & J Live and other Scottish venues had enough downtime to identify the best products , make the substitutions and have them ready for use by visitors in good time .
Louise Stewart , Managing Director ( Interim ) at P & J Live , said : “ As a venue , we very much promote sustainable practices and are committed to achieving the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge – a joint commitment across the events and meeting industry to achieve net zero by 2050 and halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 . We are a paperless venue , utilising digital screens in place of fliers and poster sites , with digital tickets replacing the more traditional and less sustainable practice of printed tickets .. We continue to identify opportunities and implement change for a greener future , so removing the use of singleuse plastics is a welcome next step and we are absolutely in support of the ban .”
Talking to other national event industry catering businesses , they report that early notification
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of the impending ban in Scotland also enabled them to substitute credible alternatives on their approved products lists , and expect single-use plastics to have left their businesses entirely by 2024 , well ahead of any UKwide ban .
Exhibitions challenge Plastic waste remains a challenge for events , however , with exhibitors and organisers bringing their own hospitality and catering to conferences and exhibitions . Exhibitors and sponsors need to be made aware that single-use plastic cups and other items of disposable plastic tableware are no longer acceptable .
Siân Richards , head of sustainability , Olympia London , said , “ Olympia London has welcomed the ban on problematic singleuse plastics in Scotland , and is looking forward to the exclusion becoming part of UK-wide legislation as soon
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as possible . We eliminated all of the items covered by the ban from its catering operation several years ago , and have worked with organisers and exhibitors to prevent these items from being brought on site .”
Richards added : “ We are now in discussions to replace plastic water bottles in our catering outlets completely ; currently we offer a choice of alternative options . Our catering partner , Gather & Gather , only uses products from suppliers signed up to the UK Plastics Pact . Importantly , our decadelong zero-to-landfill policy ensures that no waste plastics managed at the venue end up in our oceans and almost everything is recycled , with just a small percentage ( 2 %) being incinerated to produce energy . Having commissioned an on-site plastics audit in 2019 and recently shared this with the cross-association Sustainability Working Group ,
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we look forward to working with our industry colleagues to reduce and , where possible , eliminate the use of single-use plastics in events .”
Epicentre of innovation Britain ’ s history as an epicentre of innovation is well-deserved , and the necessity to cut plastic waste is providing fertile ground for inventions and processes . Suppliers can pick any number of solutions and alternatives to existing plastic products , from dedicated paper cup recycling services to cups , spoons and plates made of edible materials .
The AEV supports its members with advice and guidance through the AEV / AEO / ESSA Sustainability Working Group and the eGuide – the latest edition of which was published in August , and the transition to events that are completely free of single-use plastics is not far away , with or without the UK legislation needed to enforce it . EN
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