Festival and Event Disposables Checklist for Traders and Organisers
The DiscountTillRolls.ie TeamFor a festival or event, plan in three groups: drinks (flexi pint glasses, wine glasses, cups), food (trays, boxes, cutlery, napkins) and site basics (bin bags, cleaning supplies and card machine rolls). Many events now ask traders to use compostable food packaging, so check the organiser rules before you order. Order well ahead of the event, since you cannot pop out for more lids in the middle of a field.
Here is the checklist, with notes on quantities and what organisers often ask for.
In this guide
- What do festival bars need?
- What do festival food traders need?
- Do festivals require compostable packaging?
- What site basics are easy to forget?
- How much should I order for an event?
- FAQ
What do festival bars need?
| Item | Use | Pack | Price ex VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pint PP flexi glasses, CE marked | Beer, cider, mixers | 800 | €52.99 |
| Half pint flexi glasses | Half pints, soft drinks, kids | 1250 | €52.99 |
| 200ml disposable wine glasses | Wine, prosecco | 400 | €118.99 |
| Disposable shot glasses | Shots, tasters | 1200 | €34.99 |
| 20oz red paper party cup | Paper alternative for pints | 500 | €43.40 |
More detail in our disposable plastic pint glasses guide.
Shatterproof pint glasses for bars and events.
What do festival food traders need?
- Food trays: kraft trays from 1/2lb up to 3lb for chips, loaded fries and street food.
- Boxes: bagasse meal boxes or kraft boxes for mains. See bagasse vs kraft vs plastic and the burger boxes guide.
- Plates and bowls: paper plates for events with seating.
- Cutlery: wooden forks and knives, or wrapped cutlery sets.
- Napkins and hand wipes. See the napkins guide.
- Hot drinks: cups and lids, covered in the coffee van checklist.
Compostable kraft trays for chips and loaded fries.
Do festivals require compostable packaging?
Many Irish festivals and events now set rules for traders on packaging, often asking for compostable food packaging and banning some single-use plastics. The rules differ from event to event, so ask the organiser for their trader pack before you order.
Where compostable packaging is required, bagasse boxes, kraft trays, paper plates and wooden cutlery are the usual choices. Our festival compostable products collection brings them together, and compostable packaging and the brown bin explains how disposal works.
What site basics are easy to forget?
- Bin bags: clear refuse sacks make it easy to separate waste streams, and black refuse sacks for general waste. Biodegradable sacks are also available. Check with the event waste team which bags each stream needs.
- Card machine rolls: events are mostly card payments now, so bring spare 57x40mm rolls. A busy weekend can use more than you expect.
- Cleaning: blue roll, cleaning cloths and surface sanitiser.
- Gloves for food handling.
- Cup carriers for group drink orders.
Clear sacks so waste can be checked and sorted.
How much should I order for an event?
Start from the expected attendance and your likely share of it. A simple method:
- Estimate how many customers you will serve per hour at peak, and how many hours you trade.
- Multiply to get total serves, then add a margin, since you cannot restock easily on site.
- Order drinks glasses for each drink served, not each customer, since many people buy more than one.
- Match lids, trays and napkins to serves, and bring spare card rolls.
For bigger orders, pallets or recurring events, call us on 01 443 3964 and we can help plan quantities.
Frequently asked questions
What cups are best for festival bars?
Shatterproof flexi pint glasses are the standard, with half pints and disposable wine glasses alongside.
Do Irish festivals require compostable packaging?
Many do, but the rules differ by event. Ask the organiser for their trader rules before ordering.
What food trays do festival traders use?
Kraft food trays from 1/2lb to 3lb are popular for chips, loaded fries and street food.
How many card machine rolls should I bring to an event?
More than you think. Bring at least a few spare 57x40mm rolls per terminal for a busy weekend.
What bin bags are best for events?
Clear sacks help waste teams check and sort waste. Ask the event waste team what they need.
Stock up before the gates open.
Flexi glasses, food trays, compostable boxes and site basics, dispatched from Dublin 12.
Shop festival products →Free delivery across Ireland. Order before 1pm for same-day dispatch from Dublin 12.