This year, Slush attendees will notice something new is up with their cups: every single cup and lid they use is part of a closed-loop recycling initiative, thanks to a landmark partnership between Huhtamaki and Slush.
In a bid to set new standards for resource management in the events sector, Huhtamaki has collaborated with Slush to provide recyclable fiber cups and lids for all hot and cold drinks for this year’s event. All of these will then be collected, sorted, and recycled here in Finland.
"Our partnership with Slush is a unique opportunity to show how paper cups can be recycled effectively, even at a large event. By organizing separate collecting and recycling, we’re turning used materials into valuable new products, demonstrating the full potential of circularity," says Salla Ahonen, Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Communications at Huhtamaki.
Closing the loop: Circular packaging takes center stage at Slush
Sustainability is at the core of Slush's event production. That’s why Huhtamaki’s functional and sustainable fiber-based cups and lids - produced locally from renewable certified fiber in Finland - make an ideal choice for the 13,000 attendees at the 2024 event. Together, Huhtamaki and Slush have set a goal of achieving 100% recycling by carefully organizing the separate collection of used cups on-site.
To ensure closed-loop recycling, 33 dedicated collection bins for cups and lids will be placed around the event. Once collected, the cups and lids are sent to a domestic facility in Varkaus, where they undergo a pulping process to extract their valuable fiber content. This recovered fiber will then be repurposed into new forms of fiber-based packaging, such as corrugated boxes, plant seedling containers, and other sustainable packaging solutions.
“Our fiber-based cups and lids can be recycled up to 25 times, preserving resources and avoiding waste. Our goal is to show that closing the loop in collection and recycling is not only possible but also practical and feasible,” Ahonen points out.
Setting a new industry standard for circularity
This is the second year in a row that Huhtamaki has partnered with Slush, having held a side event focused on innovation in the packaging sector. This year, both are determined to go further and walk the walk to set a new standard for recycling at large-scale events. According to Ahonen, the decision to partner with Slush aligns with both organizations’ commitment to circularity and sustainable innovation.
“We see our partnership with Slush as an opportunity to take event sustainability to a whole new level, hoping to inspire other companies and event organizers to consider circular solutions for their operations,” Ahonen says.
Together we can set the best practices for recycling and collection in the industry. “Circularity is a core principle for us, and partnering with Slush allows us to demonstrate how it can be put into action,” Ahonen adds.
Making every cup count
By showcasing the recyclability of fiber-based packaging and closing the loop on collection and recycling practices, Huhtamaki and Slush want to create a blueprint for the events industry. For Huhtamaki, this initiative is also an opportunity to share its vision with the Slush audience—startups, investors, and entrepreneurs looking to adopt sustainable practices in their own businesses and ventures.
“We believe that sustainability and technology development go hand-in-hand, and Slush is the perfect forum to showcase that," Ahonen says.
"Our goal is to show the industry that a closed-loop system can be the new standard.”
Alongside Slush, Huhtamaki aims to reimagine recycling with systems that make packaging fully circular, turning used materials into valuable resources. We encourage all Slush attendees to participate in this effort to demonstrate that nothing should be seen as disposable. By giving these materials a second life, we can show how they can continue to bring value as part of new packaging solutions.
Huhtamaki’s partnership with Slush is all about showing how sustainable packaging can work in the real world, even at an event as massive as this. This collaboration is a rallying call for others to step up and think bigger when it comes to circular solutions. Together, we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s achievable in sustainability and setting an example for future events and beyond.