Ringo disputes study on environmental benefits of reusable tableware
Estonia's reusable tableware provider Ringo says its cups are used more times than suggested by a recent university study. The master's thesis argued that under current conditions, reusable dishes are not always greener than disposable ones.
Since 2024, Estonia has banned single-use tableware at public events, giving rise to a market for reusable deposit cups and dishes. A new master's thesis from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, however, suggests that under the current system, reusable items are not always more environmentally friendly than disposable ones.
According to the author, Marleen Talve, a reusable cup in the system is used on average about five times. That is not enough to offset the environmental costs of producing, transporting and washing it. She argues that the cup only becomes environmentally beneficial from the sixth or seventh use, and in Estonia as a whole even later due to longer transport distances.
Talve places much of the responsibility on companies. The cup should be as light as possible and preferably made from recycled material, she said. Warehouses and washing stations should be spread across Estonia; at present most are concentrated around Tallinn. Renewable energy could also be used for washing and storing the cups.
Ringo representative Kaarel Luht said the company does not entirely agree with the study's conclusions. When it re-examined data on one of the discussed cups, the average number of uses had risen to six after six months. He said all Ringo products stay in circulation for a long time, each cycle takes considerable time, and many items are still in the company's warehouse, so the number of uses can be expected to keep increasing.
Talve also highlights a potential conflict of interest. If a cup is not returned, the deposit remains with the company, and no one controls how many times the dish is actually used. In her view, a reusable system works best where cups can be washed and put back into use immediately, such as large stadiums or concert venues. If the state has already mandated reusable tableware, the system should be arranged so that it truly has a smaller environmental footprint than disposable alternatives.
Ilya Krasnov, a researcher at Tallinn University of Technology, argues that the environmental problem is not related to the materials themselves but to human behaviour. Whatever material is used, the issue is the damage its consumption causes to nature.
