Geneva ,July 5,2026…Thank you to our SD Perspectives Challenges members for sharing this story. Today, I’m taking you all to the Street Food Festival! The event is absolutely packed with delicious food trucks and amazing dishes from all over the world. But what’s really special and worth talking about is their “Zero Waste” concept to help reduce trash for our planet!
As many of you probably know, festivals like this usually generate massive piles of garbage. But here in Geneva, they have a cool way of handling it:
A strict ban on single-use tableware!
You won’t find disposable plates, bowls, cups, or cutlery being mindlessly thrown away here. Instead, they use a “Deposit System” (Consigne).
It’s incredibly simple:
1.When buying food/drinks: You pay a small deposit for the tableware (around 1-3 CHF per item, depending on the type).
2.While eating: Just sit back, chill, and enjoy your meal using high-quality reusable tableware.
3.When you’re done: Simply walk over to the “Return Points” to hand back the tableware and get your full deposit refunded!
It is such a brilliant idea—you get to eat your heart out while leaving virtually zero waste behind.
This isn’t just a voluntary effort; it’s actually in compliance with Geneva’s environmental laws (Loi sur la gestion des déchets). Geneva law requires festivals held in public spaces to be free of single-use plastics. To meet this legal requirement, the organizers have pivoted to this deposit system, using durable, high-quality hard plastics (like recycled PET or PP) that can be industrially washed, sanitized, and reused hundreds of times.
Although Geneva’s regulations technically allow the use of pure paper bowls/ plates (without plastic-lined), sugarcane packaging, and wooden utensils, the organizers still chose the deposit system. This is likely because using paper tableware in such huge quantities would still result in overflowing trash bins during the event. Implementing a deposit system to incentivize people to return their items is definitely the most effective way to minimize waste.
SD Perspectives | Thailand’s Sustainability & Business Strategy Media
SD Perspectives delivers news and analysis on ESG, Nature & Biodiversity, Sustainable Finance, Business Strategy, and DEI—helping Thai leaders, investors, and organizations understand emerging risks, opportunities, and the changing direction of global business.
