MPs demand 25p tax on ‘disposable’ coffee cups and threaten a BAN if it doesn’t cut waste
Commons Environmental Audit Committee is calling for a 25p charge because the plastic-lined paper cups are particularly difficult to recylce
A 25p “latte levy” should be slapped on all disposable coffee cups, MPs demand today.
The powerful Commons Environmental Audit Committee called for the charge in a bid to get all throwaway cups recycled by 2023.
And if the target is not reached they insist Government should ban the cups - rarely recycled because of a plastic lining.
Committee chair Mary Creagh said a “revolution in recycling” was needed.
She said: “The UK throws away 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year; enough to circle the planet five and a half times.
“Almost none are recycled and half a million a day are littered. Coffee cup producers and distributors have not taken action to rectify this and Government has sat on its hands.”
MPs said the extra 25p charge should be used to pay for better recycling facilities.
Outlets like Pret A Manger are now offering 50p discounts to customers who bring their own cups.
But the committee said uptake of these offers was low.
They said consumers changed their habits when a charge was levied - using the example of the 5p plastic bag fee.
Britain throws away 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year with less than 1 per cent recycled.
Almost all of them are incinerated, exported or sent to landfill because their plastic lining makes them difficult to process.
But most people believe when they throw their coffee cups in recycling bins they will be recycled.
The committee said cups from cafes that do not have in-store recycling systems should be printed with “not widely recycled” labels to boost consumer awareness.
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It is also calling on the Government to set fees for producers who make packaging that is difficult to recycle.
Ms Creagh added: “Coffee shops have been pulling the wool over customers’ eyes, telling us their cups can be recycled when less than 1% are.
“Taxpayers are footing the bill for disposing of the billions of coffee cups thrown away each year, whether or not they are coffee drinkers.
“It is only right that producers should bear more of the financial burden to help recycle their packaging, so my committee is calling for producer responsibility reform that rewards businesses that use sustainable packaging and makes those that don’t face higher charges.”
Laura Foster, head of clean seas at the Marine Conservation Society, said they agreed with a ban if all cups weren’t recycled by 2023.
She said: “Just like the plastic bag charge we are all now familiar with, a charge added to our coffee at the point of purchase will help consumers think about whether to take a refill cup to the cafe.”