Single-use coffee cup charge revealed as ‘latte levy’ plans move forward

A group of friends / coworkers enjoy hot drinks from takeaway cups at an outdoor cafe / setting. — **Scottish Government set to introduce a charge on disposable cups.**

By Lucy Ashton

You’ll have had your coffee this morning which means you will be wide awake to the news that plans to introduce a 25p “latte levy” on all single-use cups have taken a step forward.

SNP ministers have launched a consultation to ask the public for their views on the proposals which they hope will slash waste.

The policy is similar to the carrier bag charge introduced in shops and supermarkets in 2014 which aimed to eradicate their use and shift people towards using reusable bags.

The power to introduce levies for disposable items like cups is a key plank of the Scottish Government’s flagship Circular Economy Bill.

Research in 2019 suggested the single-use cup charge would lead to a behaviour change in 49 per cent of the population.

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin, right, said: “The success of the single-use carrier bag charge shows how an environmental charge can be an effective tool to change people’s behaviour and encourage responsible consumption.

“While many businesses already have offers in place to encourage the use of reusable drinks cups, hundreds of millions of single-use cups are still being discarded, creating 5400 tonnes of waste every year.

“Many of these cups end up littering our roadsides, town centres, beaches and parks.

Reusable coffee cup — **Staff handing over reusable cup to customer.**

She added: “Our proposed approach is similar to the charge for single-use carrier bags and will be familiar to both suppliers and the public.

“We hope this means that it will minimise any administrative burden on businesses and make it easy for individuals and organisations to adopt.”

Coffee drinkers received a warning from Holyrood’s Net Zero Committee that any single-use cup charge must be introduced in a way that doesn’t hammer small firms and consumers.

The report by MSPs said the policy needed to go “hand in hand” with encouraging more people to use reusable alternatives, such as through public awareness schemes or providing support to low-income Scots.

In 2019, an expert group recommended a single-use cup charge of between 20p and 25p.

Under the proposals in a consultation document, there would be exemptions for schools and free drinks handed out in hospitals or care homes.

In all other settings, those selling drinks would have to apply the charge when the beverage is purchased in a single-use cup – even with cups marked as biodegradable or compostable.

A staggering 388million single-use cups were used in Scotland in 2021-22, official estimates show, with tens of thousands littered.

The consultation runs until November 5.