Compostable packaging for events: lessons from the Ilkley Tennis Open
Closing the loop at Ilkley Tennis Open
The Lexus Ilkley Open is one of the UK’s major grass court tennis tournaments, bringing together tennis, food, drink, entertainment and a busy event atmosphere with around 25,000 people expected through the gates across the week.
With that many visitors on site, food and drink packaging needed to be more than a product choice. It had to work for traders, visitors, the refresh team, the waste contractor and the composting facility.
Ilkley Tennis Club wanted to use compostable packaging across the event and make sure there was a clear route for it after use. That meant bringing the right people together: Ilkley Tennis Club, Business Waste, Vegware, Premvan, the food vendors, the refresh team and the composting facility.
Watch the video to see how the project came together.
Why compostable packaging for events needs a proper system
Compostable packaging is a great fit for events, especially where food and drink are served on the go. It works best when it is part of a planned system.
At a live event, visitors are watching sport, queuing for food, carrying drinks, enjoying music and moving around the site. They are not stopping to study every bin in detail. That is why the packaging, bins, signage, collection and composting route all need to work together.
A good compostable packaging system should answer a few practical questions:
- What food and drink packaging will be used?
- Will traders use the same approved compostable packaging?
- Are compost bins clear and easy to find?
- Does the signage show visitors what to do?
- Are the teams handling the bins trained?
- Has the waste contractor confirmed the collection route?
At Ilkley, these details were planned before the event began.
The challenge: making it simple for everyone on site
One of the clearest points from the Ilkley team was the need for consistency.
The club explained that if every vendor used different packaging, it would create a “logistical nightmare” for the refresh team and make it harder for visitors to understand what could go where. They also highlighted a common event waste challenge: once recyclable packaging is heavily contaminated with food, it may no longer be recyclable.
Vegware was chosen as a practical way to simplify the system. All vendors were required to use Vegware packaging, which made it easier to separate and segregate materials back of house. For an event of this size, that consistency mattered. It helped visitors, vendors and the teams managing waste all work from the same plan.
How Vegware supported the project
Business Waste contacted Vegware because Ilkley Tennis Club wanted to use compostable packaging, and the waste team needed support on how to handle it correctly.
Vegware’s Environmental team helped connect the different parts of the system, from packaging and collectors through to disposal. Ilkley knew how to run a tennis tournament, while Vegware knew how to support a composting programme.
Vegware helped with:
- guidance on suitable compostable packaging
- support for consistent product use across vendors
- advice on compostable liners
- bin signage and communication materials
- training for the refresh team
- guidance on the composting route after the event
The aim was to make the system easy to understand and easy to use.
Why one packaging system matters
One of the keys to a successful composting programme is making the material easy to identify.
This starts with vendors and procurement. If everyone uses the same products, visitors and teams can look at the bin signage and quickly understand where items should go. If there are lots of different cups, containers and materials on site, that becomes far more challenging.
That is the practical value of consistency. It is not about packaging for packaging’s sake. It is about helping the whole event run more smoothly, from the point of service to the point of disposal.
Premvan’s role: making supply straightforward
Premvan played an important role as the distributor for the event.
The team has worked with Vegware for around 13 years and supported Ilkley Tennis by distributing the products needed for the event. The products were delivered into the tennis club, with one delivery and one invoice, helping keep things straightforward for the event team.
That made a difference because the event had multiple vendors across the site. Centralising the supply route helped traders access the right packaging and gave the organisers more control over what was being used.
For event organisers, this is a useful lesson: the distributor is not just there to deliver boxes. They can help make the system easier for traders and more manageable for the event team.
Clear bins, clear signage, better segregation
Clear signage was another important part of the Ilkley project.
The goal was to make it obvious where used Vegware packaging should go. Bin signage, visual prompts and on-site communication all helped visitors make a quick decision at the point of disposal.
As Business Waste explains in the video, clear signage can solve problems early by helping people put items in the right bins.
This is especially important at events. People are often carrying food, drinks, bags or programmes. They need simple, visual instructions, not complicated waste guidance.
Good event bin signage should be:
- easy to spot
- close to the point of disposal
- visual where possible
- specific to the packaging being used
- simple enough to understand quickly
Training the team on the ground
The refresh team had a key role in keeping the composting stream clean.
Vegware provided training so the team could recognise the products, understand the bin system and know what to look out for when handling the waste areas. That matters because even with good signage, the on-site team is the final check before the material leaves the event.
The early signs were positive. Ilkley’s team explained that back-of-house separation in the bin and refuse areas had “never been this good”, and that the system was already proving itself as an excellent solution.
For a busy event, that is a strong practical outcome. The system helped the people managing the waste, not just the people choosing the packaging.
What event organisers can learn from Ilkley
The Ilkley Tennis Open shows that compostable packaging for events works best when it is treated as part of a wider event waste management plan.
The main lessons are:
- Start planning before the event
- Get the event organiser, waste contractor, packaging supplier, distributor and composting facility involved early
- Keep packaging consistent across vendors
- Make ordering simple for traders
- Use clear, visual bin signage
- Train the teams handling the bins
- Confirm the composting route before the event starts
- Make the system easy for visitors to use
The system works best when the people, packaging and waste process are aligned.
Event composting checklist ✅
If you are planning to use compostable packaging at an event, start with these questions.
Packaging
- What food and drink will be served?
- Which cups, containers, trays, plates, cutlery and napkins are needed?
- Will all traders use the same approved packaging?
Bins and signage
- Where will the compost bins go?
- Are bin points easy to spot?
- Is the signage clear enough for a busy visitor?
- Do the signs show the actual packaging being used?
On-site team
- Who will check the bins?
- Has the team been trained?
- What should they do if they spot contamination?
- Who is the main contact on the day?
Traders
- Who is supplying each trader?
- Can ordering be centralised through one distributor?
- Do traders need help switching from their usual packaging?
- Has everyone had clear instructions before arriving on site?
Waste collection
- Who is collecting the material?
- Has the waste contractor confirmed the route?
- Which composting facility will receive it?
- Does the facility know what products to expect?
Any questions? Get in touch!
+44 (0)330 223 0400 Environmental@vegware.com
Compostable packaging for sports events, festivals and venues
The same principles apply to many event settings, from sports tournaments and festivals to outdoor markets, venues and corporate catering.
At the Ilkley Tennis Open, the project worked because the right partners were involved early. Ilkley Tennis and Squash Club, Business Waste, Vegware, Premvan, the vendors, the refresh team and the composting facility all had a role to play.
That is what turns compostable packaging from a product choice into a practical event system.
Planning compostable packaging for an event?
Vegware supports events, venues, caterers and waste teams with compostable foodservice packaging and practical guidance on how to collect it after use.
For the Ilkley Tennis Open, that meant helping the event team move from a good idea to a working system.
If you are planning a sporting event, festival, outdoor market, venue catering set-up or corporate event, speak to Vegware about compostable packaging for your next event.
FAQs
Yes, compostable packaging is great for events, especially where food and drink are served on the go. It works best when the packaging, bins, signage, collection and composting route are planned together.
Use suitable compostable packaging like Vegware, ask traders to use the same approved products, set up clear compost bins, train the team handling the bins and confirm the composting facility before the event.
Using the same packaging system makes it easier for visitors to choose the right bin and easier for the event team to spot contamination. It also helps the waste contractor understand what will be collected.
Clear bin signage helps visitors make quick decisions. This reduces contamination and helps keep the composting stream cleaner.
The event organiser, packaging supplier, food traders, distributor, waste contractor, on-site team and composting facility should all be involved before the event starts.
