Reusable Cups and Bottles for Events: Replacing Single-Use Plastic
To replace single-use plastic at an event, swap each throwaway item for something people use again. Replace bottled water with a refillable bottle and somewhere to fill it, replace disposable coffee cups with a reusable cup, and replace plastic cups at the bar with a reusable tumbler.
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View allTo replace single-use plastic at an event, swap each throwaway item for something people use again. Replace bottled water with a refillable bottle and somewhere to fill it, replace disposable coffee cups with a reusable cup, and replace plastic cups at the bar with a reusable tumbler. Choose ones people will take home and use again, because that's the point of a reusable cup.
We're a UK supplier of branded reusable cups and bottles for event organisers, businesses, charities and schools. This is how we'd make each swap, and what to check on the product page.
Instead of bottled water
A refillable bottle in the welcome pack, and a water point to fill it.
The Thirst Grip Bottle Push-Pull Lid 500ml is the one to start with. It has a finger grip its page describes as ideal for slippery or wet hands, and its page says it's made in the UK, with a BPA free bottle and lid.
The Economics Olympiad UK National Final ran this way in June 2026. We supplied 250 branded Thirst Grip 500ml bottles for the students and their teachers, and they refilled them at water stations across the SOAS campus all day. Our Economics Olympiad case study explains how the order was planned.
For a fun run or a festival, where people carry everything, the Marathon Fold up Bottle folds up when it's empty and has a carabiner clip. For speakers, guests or a smaller audience, the 500ml Metal Bottles are double walled stainless steel with an airtight, leak-proof screw top lid, and each one is individually boxed. Our idea on branded sports bottles for gyms, events and teams covers the rest of the range.
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Instead of disposable coffee cups
A reusable cup that goes home with the person who used it.
The Americano Travel Mug is made in the UK from double-walled polypropylene, and its page describes it as an alternative to disposable paper cups. It's top rack dishwasher and microwave safe, and the print wraps around the cup.
For a lower cost, the Reusable Coffee Cup is a single walled cup with a lid and a brown paper sleeve for grip. Its page calls it a step-up from high street cardboard coffee cups, and it's plain that the cup isn't insulated and isn't dishwasher proof, so it suits coffee drunk there and then. The Reusable Rubber Grip Cup is double walled plastic with a colour co-ordinated rubber base, and it isn't dishwasher proof either. Our idea on the best branded travel mugs and flasks for businesses compares the rest.
Instead of plastic cups at the bar
A reusable cup or tumbler, branded for the event.
The Festival 300ml Reusable Plastic Cup is made from BPA-free PP plastic, translucent with a matt finish, and its page describes it as lightweight yet tough enough for festivals, parties and outdoor events. It suits soft drinks and cocktails, and the logo is pad printed on the front.
For pints, the Recycled Plastic Pint Tumbler is a 1 pint high ball tumbler made from Tritan™ Renew, which contains recycled material. Its page says the tumblers are shatter resistant, BPA and PVC free, and legally certified for trade, with the official UKCA/CE capacity verification stamp on the bottom of each one. If the cups are going behind a bar, that's the line to check.
The Stadium Cup 350ml is a double-wall insulated tumbler, made in the UK, and its page says it's EN12875-1 compliant and dishwasher safe on the top rack. Our guide to dishwasher-safe print explains what EN12875-1 means. Our Outdoor Event Essentials collection has more for an outdoor bar, and our idea on festival merchandise covers the rest of a festival.
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What do the rules say about single-use plastic cups?
In England, the list covers cups made of expanded or extruded polystyrene, and other single-use plastic cups aren't on it.
Since 1 October 2023, businesses in England can't sell or supply single-use plastic cutlery or balloon sticks, or food and drink containers made of expanded or extruded polystyrene, which is where cups come in. The supply of single-use plastic plates, trays and bowls is restricted too. The government's announcement put it as polystyrene cups and food containers, and its current guidance says only polystyrene that has been through a foaming process is in scope. The same guidance lists single-use plastic drinks stirrers as banned, and straws and cotton buds as restricted.
These are England's rules, and the rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ. This is correct as at October 2026, and it's general information rather than legal advice.
What makes the swap work on the day?
Somewhere to refill, and people knowing where it is.
Tell people at registration that there's a bottle in their pack and where to fill it. Put the water point where a queue won't block a doorway, and keep some spares for people who forget theirs. If cups are coming back for a second day, check the product page for washing first, because the Festival 300ml Reusable Plastic Cup and Recycled Plastic Pint Tumbler pages don't mention the dishwasher.
How do you make it something people keep?
Make it good enough to use at home, and leave the date off the design.
Leave the year off, so any leftover cups and bottles still work at your next event. Keep the branding simple, so people are happy to use the cup at home. A reusable cup only earns its place if it's reused, so a slightly better cup for the people who'll use it does more than a thin one for everybody.
Our guide to choosing promotional products for an event covers how to stop giveaways being thrown away, and our guide to buying eco-friendly merchandise without the greenwashing covers the rest of a giveaway without single-use plastic, including how it's packed. For the rest of an event order, see our idea on the best promotional products for events.
Which swap suits which event?
It depends on what's being drunk, and whether people will carry it home.
| Single-use item | Reusable swap | A product to start with | Check on the product page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottled water at a conference or school event | A refillable bottle in the welcome pack | Thirst Grip Bottle Push-Pull Lid 500ml | The lid and the colours |
| Bottled water at a fun run or festival | A bottle that folds up when it's empty | Marathon Fold up Bottle | The print area |
| Bottled water for speakers and guests | A double walled steel bottle in its own box | 500ml Metal Bottles | The finish and the lid |
| Disposable coffee cups | A double-walled reusable cup | Americano Travel Mug | The dishwasher and microwave wording |
| Disposable coffee cups, at the lowest cost | A single walled reusable cup | Reusable Coffee Cup | That it isn't insulated or dishwasher proof |
| Plastic cups for soft drinks | A reusable PP cup | Festival 300ml Reusable Plastic Cup | Washing, which the page doesn't mention |
| Plastic pint cups at the bar | A reusable pint tumbler | Recycled Plastic Pint Tumbler | The capacity verification stamp |
How do you see it before you order?
Request a free Visual Proof™ on the product page. Our in-house designers will put your logo on the cup or bottle and send it back with the price and the delivery date, usually in around 20 minutes. You can request as many changes as you need, the price on your proof is locked for 14 days, and nothing goes into production until you approve it. If sponsor logos are going on too, include them in your artwork and check each one is still readable on the proof.
You'll see the delivery date on the product page before you order, and your basket shows the delivery options available for that product, each with its own date. For an event, check the date for the product you want and allow time to approve your proof. To see the full range, browse our travel and thermal mugs, our plastic sports bottles and our Corporate Event Giveaways collection.