Siem Reap successfully and proudly Pilots Reusable Cup System to Make Festivals More Sustainable
Colorful, vibrant, and community-driven — this year’s Wat Bo Village Festival, hosted along Bamboo Street, not only celebrated Siem Reap’s creative spirit but also made history as the first local event to pilot a Deposit & Return System (DRS) for reusable cups. Visitors enjoyed their drinks in elegant stainless steel cups, proudly returning them after use and joining a collective effort to reduce single-use plastic and keep the streets clean.
Behind this simple yet powerful idea stood a joint initiative led by the Siem Reap Provincial Administration, with technical support from GIZ and close collaboration with local partners. Implementation was led by Bambu Stage, with guidance from sustainability and smart city expert Marielisa Padilla, who coordinated between authorities, vendors, and the community to ensure smooth execution. For the pilot, 500 ml stainless steel cups were procured and beautifully decorated with the Free Water Refill Cambodia campaign sticker — linking two initiatives working to reduce plastic pollution in the city.
How the System Worked
Three Deposit & Return Points (DRPs) were set up by Bambu Stage along Bamboo Street for easy access and visibility. Each was staffed with trained personnel managing deposits, returns, and user support. Visitors could borrow a cup for a small refundable deposit, reuse it multiple times, and receive their full deposit upon return. The process was supported by simple tracking sheets, ensuring smooth logistics and transparency.
The pilot used around 400 reusable cups, each refilled an estimated two to three times — effectively replacing about 800 to 1,000 single-use plastic cups. Public feedback was overwhelmingly positive: festival-goers praised the cup design and enjoyed being part of a plastic-free event. Vendors appreciated the organized system and noticed visibly less waste around their stalls, while organizers and authorities highlighted the strong environmental image the initiative created, positioning the area as a frontrunner for sustainable tourism and community innovation.
While operational costs were covered by GIZ in this first edition, the pilot underscored the need to develop a sustainable business model for future events — ideally through vendor contributions or rental fees to ensure financial viability and long-term scalability.
A Step Toward Greener Events
Though modest in scale, this first pilot marked an important milestone for Siem Reap’s journey toward greener, more circular festivals. Beyond reducing waste, it sparked enthusiasm, proud and environmental awareness across the community — proving that sustainability can be both practical and inspiring.
The Wat Bo Village Festival thus became not only a celebration of culture and creativity but also a symbol of collective action paving the way toward a cleaner, more sustainable future for Siem Reap.
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Author: Marielisa Padilla
Marielisa Padilla is a multilingual expert in smart cities, sustainable urban development, and circularity. She has lived on three continents and collaborated with more than 25 cities worldwide to co-create innovative urban solutions. Now based in Siem Reap, she supports the Provincial Administration, on behalf of GIZ with projects on smart cities, sustainable tourism, and waste management. Fascinated by Siem Reap’s potential, she sees not only the marvel of its temples and exquisite architecture — true works of science and art — but also the vibrant opportunities that position the city as a hub for sustainable transformation. For Marielisa, sustainability is more than a professional field — it is a way of living. Beyond her work in smart cities and sustainability, she is also a yoga, mindfulness, and sleep coach. She believes that just as balance and awareness can transform cities, they can also transform lives.
