Gentse Feesten plans to ditch disposable cups

The 174th edition of the Gentse Feesten, a music and theatre festival in the city of Ghent, was the last one to use disposable cups. This morning, following the last day of the festival, cleanup crews collected more than 360 tonnes of waste. "We remember years when more than 500 tonnes of trash was picked up, so we are on the right track," says Ivago's Koen Van Caimere in Het Laatste Nieuws.

"One of the measures to further reduce the mountain of waste is an outright ban on disposable cups starting next year," says Christophe Peeters, the Ghent alderman responsible for the Feesten. Only glass and reusable cups will be allowed from next year.

"We used to see pictures of the morning after, with a carpet of plastic cups on the ground, but that's improving," says Peeters, who still does not know whether the reusable cups will require a deposit fee in the future. "That's something we'll take into consideration during this year's evaluation of the festival."