On September 1–3, Retake with researchers from Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University attended Gothenburg Culture Festival to test a rotation-based system for recyclable cups.
CTF is one of the actors in the research project Retake, which aims to demonstrate how a rotation system with reusable mugs and plates can contribute to increased sustainability, reduced littering and lower costs for cleaning and waste management.
– We have tested the system during the Gothenburg horse show and Almedal Week and have now further developed the system for a final test during Gothenburg's Culture Festival where event visitors were offered to buy street food in a way that is more climate-smart, says Lars Witell, professor of Business Administration.
Through observations, interviews and surveys, the researchers hope to get answers to how customers and restaurateurs experience the system's design and function and identify how the system can be developed further.
– The goal of our research is to develop new knowledge that can be used in the transition to more sustainable events, and it is also a response to the new legislation which comes into force on 1 January 2024, when restaurants, cafés and event organisers must implement recycling systems where they offer food and drinks in reusable containers, says Lars Witell.
What happens next?
– After the Kulturkalaset, we hope to have more knowledge about how rotation systems should be designed so that visitors and restaurateurs will want to use reusable mugs and plates, says Lars Witell. We will spread our lessons learned from the project to everyone who is interested, for example at the Sustainability Day which is organized by Karlstad Business School in December.
Retake is led by the Chalmers Industriteknik Foundation and is conducted in close collaboration with the Service Research Center (CTF) at Karlstad University as well as Panter, Light My Fire, Samhall, Göteborg & Co, Got Event, and Region Gotland. The project is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Vinnova and Formas, through the strategic innovation programme RE:Source.
