PARTY NEWS
Plastic straws to be banned in England from next April The British government has confirmed that plastic straws will be banned from sale and use in England from April 2020. The new legislation has been created with the aim of reducing the littering and environmental impact of the nearly five billion plastic straws currently used each year in the UK. Plastic drinks stirrers (300 million used in the UK) and plastic-stemmed cotton buds (two billion used in the UK) will also be banned under the new rules. The party trade has been moving towards paper alternatives for some time now, with suppliers such as
Neviti and GoDan offering a wide range of fully biodegradeable paper straws to meet a rapidly increasing demand from the public. According to a government consultation, more than 80% of respondents support the ban on plastic straws, with around 90% backing a ban on drink stirrers and plastichandled cotton buds. Registered pharmacies will be the only premises permitted to sell plastic straws, either over the counter or online. “Urgent and decisive action is needed to tackle plastic pollution,” stated Michael
Gove, the environment secretary. “These items are often used for just a few minutes, but take hundreds of years to break down.”
PaintGlow launches plasticfree glitter
Harry Rai, founder of Abbey Cards, Spot On Gifts and Party Wholesalers, has sold the successful family business after some 35 years of trading. The company, which Harry initially launched as Abbey Cards in 1984, has been able to expand over the years and will now be overseen by Sunil Rakholiya, who took over the business on 10 April 2019. The Party Wholesalers website was launched in 2016 in order to strengthen the company’s market share and embrace the changing dynamics of distribution with major investment in B2B online distribution. “This has been an incredible family journey,” said Harry. “Needless to say, I have enjoyed every moment of my 35 years in this industry, with tremendous support from suppliers and customers who have been a part of my journey and become good friends, whom I will truly miss.”
Face and body painting expert PaintGlow has launched a plantbased glitter which is the first 100% plastic-free glitter to reach the UK market. Made from eucalyptus, the new guilt-free glitter boasts full ecocredentials and is fully certified as 100% biodegradable, with sustainably sourced raw materials and is non-toxic to aquatic life. Verified as microplastic free, it simply decomposes in the natural environment and is guaranteed to biodegrade in a natural fresh water environment. “There’s a huge movement towards eco-friendly products and we’ve always been committed to going the extra mile for consumers,” said business development manager Kieran Prince.“We’re proud to have these new eco-friendly products that appeal to more and more people everyday.”
Above: The successful business changed hands earlier this year.
Helium balloons ’cause hundreds of train delays’ Helium-filled balloons hit the UK newspaper headlines following the announcement from Network Rail that they cause hundreds of train delays for passengers each year. The transport infrastructure company was looking to highlight what it describes as a ‘growing problem’, with 619 balloon-related incidents being recorded across England, Scotland and Wales in the past year.
Many of these incidents involve balloons getting caught in the overhead wires, causing delays and safety risks while the electricity is switched off and the lines made safe. A recent two-hour delay in the West Midlands cost £5,000 to rectify. Network Rail claims the annual cost of this problem to the British taxpayer is around £1m a year.
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Party product and dress-up company Amscan has launched a new everyday costume collection for 2019, offering everything from licensed character styles to decades, historical outfits and careers. “We’ve added a whole range exciting new costume additions to our dress-up collection for 2019,” commented marketing executive Charlotte Cox. “All of the product which we have included in our latest dress-up supplement is brand new for this year and we have some really exciting additions to our existing offering.” All new styles are available for pre-order now.
Aldi launches balloon and partyware specials
Above: The EU is also moving to phase out single-use plastics in various forms.
Home of Party Wholesalers changes hands after 35 years
Amscan launches new everyday costume collection
Discount supermarket Aldi has launched a new range of balloon and partyware covering key occasions including birthday, baby shower and hen party. The new collections are part of Aldi’s ‘special deals’, which operate on a limited-availability basis and can be purchased both online and instore. Options include co-ordinated air-filled balloon displays, confetti balloons, bunting, tableware, cutlery, sashes, banners, bags and photo booth accessories as well as gift bags and boxes, fairy lights and novelty wooden guest books. Prices ranged from as low as 99p (for themed partyware) to £9.99 for the most expensive item – an organic DIY balloon cloud, available in three different colour options. Below: Prices ranged from 99p to just under £10.
BAPIA’s Chris Adamo tour is a huge success The recent Chris Adamo UK and Ireland tour, which covered five cities across the UK, has been hailed as a huge success. BAPIA organised the tour, which saw Australian balloon artist Chris travelling from Dublin to Southampton, London and Birmingham, before finishing in Glasgow. “It was a fantastic tour, the feedback from delegates was incredible and the buzz on social media was unbelievable,” said John Bowler (chief executive of BAPIA). “We tried to make sure that the delegates would enjoy the whole experience from arrival to departure and it looks like we succeeded in that!” To see some of the photos from the classes check out #bapiaparty on Instagram or the BAPIA Facebook page.
MAY/JUNE 2019 PROGRESSIVE PARTY EUROPE
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