Reusables for events across Hawke's Bay

reuse, return, repeat

Zero Waste, Zero overflowing bins. The Rinsery replaces single-use cups and bowls with smart reusables.

#keepmeintheloop
7,062

cups and bowls reused so far

From 30c

an item to hire, delivered and washed

1,000

serves means 1,000 single-use items avoided

25-40Kg

carbon emissions avoided with every 1,000 cups or bowls reused

How the loop works

Reuse, handled end to end

The Rinsery drops off reusable cups and bowls for you or your vendors to use. The Rinsery sets up and staffs the return stations, collecting used cups and bowls instead of binning them. At the end of the event, The Rinsery takes everything away and washes it. Three steps, no need to buy, store or wash anything.

1

We plan it with you

Tell us the date, roughly how many people you’re expecting plus how many bars and food stalls are serving. We’ll help you work out the cups and bowls you’ll need — and where the return points need to go on your site.

Each vendor starts with their requested number of cups & bowls, we hold extras centrally so vendors can top up if needed.

2

On the day

Two Options:

1 – We deliver, set up the return bins with clear signage, and put our team on the return points – recommended for large events.

2 – You distribute and collect all the items – recommended for small events.

For larger or multi-day events we can bring our dishwashing trailer and wash on site, so the same cups keep circulating instead of being used once and boxed up.

3

Everything comes back to us

We wash and sanitise everything at our Hastings base and store it ready for the next event.

We also compost any food scraps collected; nothing gets thrown away at the end of the day.

We will tell you how many items went out and how many came back so that you can track and celebrate your impact.

Our range

Cups and bowls built to use again & again

Sturdy,  heat safe cups and bowls in a range of sizes. Every item carries a “PLEASE RETURN ME” mark, so people know it’s not a throwaway.

Cold drink cups

425ml & 285ml

Green and white, great for water, wine, beer and soft drinks.

We also have the transparent hot drinks cups that are great for wine or cocktails. These come in 235ml and 350ml.

30c

Hot drink cups

8oz, 12oz & 16oz

Ribbed cups with lids for coffee, tea, mulled wine or hot chocolate. Green or transparent depending on the size.

 

50c

Food bowls

700ml & 1,000ml

A medium round bowl for soup, curry or loaded fries or a large oval bowl for a full plate of food.

 

 

60c

Hire prices are per item. Our staff time will be quoted separately and will depend on your event size, duration and location. Any losses of more than 5% will be charged at replacement cost.

Getting them back

Supplying the cups is just the start

Returns are crucial for reuse to have a positive impact. We work hard to help people put their cup in a return bin instead of a rubbish bag. 

Where the bins go

Exits first

As well as the exits we cover the bars, the food stalls, the water points and the seating areas.

Signage is in te reo Māori and English — Whakahokia ngā ipu, return your containers — with pictures of the items so there’s no guesswork.

Add our Waste Warriors service to The Rinsery and you could have a truly Zero Waste event! – Our team sets up monitored waste stations with clear signage, helps people get things into the right bin, clears out contamination, and weighs and records everything collected so you get real diversion figures afterwards.

COmmunication

People being told

When Pre-Event marketing includes info about what to expect returns are much better. 

A reminder from the stage throughout the event and vendors saying “that bowl comes back” as they hand it over, do more than signs ever will.

Monitored bins also get far more back than bins left on their own, so our team staffs and empties them throughout the event.

What we need from you

Your part of it

What it adds up to

The Impact

Reuse impacts your event’s waste to landfill, carbon emissions and energy usage.

Single-use avoided

1,000 serves, 1,000 items

Every 1,000 serves through The Rinsery is 1,000 single-use cups or bowls that never get made, transported, used for ten minutes and then binned.

Carbon

25–40 kg CO₂e avoided*

Per 1,000 serves, on our own estimates — roughly the same as riving 100 to 165 km in a petrol car.

Diversion

Diversion from landfill

Single use food and drinks containers usually end up in landfill, even if they are made from recyclable materials, as they are contaminated with food or liquid. 

Reused cups and bowls stay out of landfill and any food scrapings are composted locally.

*Estimate based on reusable cup and bowl product carbon footprint data, repeated-use assumptions and a conservative single-use plastic comparison. The petrol car comparison uses Ministry for the Environment default petrol car emissions factors. Actual results vary with item type, return rate, washing, transport and the disposable product replaced.

Get in touch

Tell us about your event

Send us the basics and we’ll be in touch about starting to plan for your event. No obligation, we’re happy to talk through your needs with you first.

Ngā mihi — we look forward to hearing what you’re planning.