Prevent “Latte Levy” On Disposable Cups With Eco-friendly Paper Cups

In a bid to tackle the rising plastic waste, a group of MPs in the UK, including Michael Gove have been contemplating to introduce a charge of 25p for every disposable plastic cup.

The plan to call for a “latte levy” per disposable coffee cup is being considered by top ministers all throughout the UK. Several ministers along with environmentalists are urging this move amid the demands for a total ban on these cups by 2023 unless manufacturers come up with sustainable packaging solutions.

As per a recent report published by the Environmental Audit Committee, the 25p tax can improve the recycling and reprocessing facilities in the UK. The committee suggests that “latte levy” can prevent plastic waste in the same way the 5p charge per plastic bag was hailed as a success. This is followed by a research which shows that every year, the UK disposes of almost 2.5 billion cups.

What’s more alarming is that several consumers believe that the cups are being recycled when only less than 1% is actually recycled. The rest are either buried or incinerated in landfill sites since they have inner-linings which are made of plastic.

Need Of The Revolution

With the UK’s coffee shop market expanding rapidly, a revolution in the recycling system should be started immediately for reducing the number of disposable cups. More and more eco-friendly paper cups should be promoted over the single-use cups. Environmentalists and experts suggest that the money raised through “latte levy” can be spent on improving the infrastructure of bins all throughout the UK, including the workplaces.

After the system of reviewing non-recyclable disposable cups was hinted in the budget last year, ministers are considering more such plans amid a shake-up of waste management in the UK.  The MPs are even asking the Government to setup a target to ban all non-recyclable cups by the year 2023 and increase the charges for manufacturers who do not invest in sustainable packaging materials.
As per reliable sources, though the government is “open to the idea”, it wants to ensure that the levy triggers a notable change in the consumers’ behaviour and not just increase the prices. The MPs want the plastic throwaway cups to be prohibited completely by the year 2023 in case they are not being recycled completely.

Environmental campaigners all over the UK have welcomed the recommendations of the commitment to levy charges on the usage of throwaway cups to promote sustainable food packaging solutions. Many agree with the committee’s decision that if the motive of 100% recycling of throwaway cups is not achieved by the year 2023, the government should impose an outright ban on providing them. 

What Consumers Have To Say?

Several consumers are of the opinion that instead of imposing taxes on users, it is the manufacturers who should bear the entire cost. They believe that instead of charging “latte tax” from consumers, the responsibility should be placed on people who are manufacturing non-recyclable plastic cups and on the manufacturers who use them.

Banning the use of throwaway cups at the earliest can be the best way to tackle the plastic waste. It’s time to switch to paper coffee cups!