The Scottish government has opened a consultation on introducing a charge for single-use beverage cups.
The cabinet is proposing to introduce a charge of at least GBP 0.25 (€0.30) for all disposable cups, regardless of material. The consultation highlights that the charge would also apply to cups made of biodegradable material or bio-based plastics.
“While it can be argued that these are more sustainable than traditional plastics, they are still single-use and present their own sustainability challenges including a lack of recycling infrastructure and frequency of littering,” the consultation text reads.
The government proposes that the charge would apply when an individual buys a drink of any kind, including through a loyalty scheme. Some exceptions are accounted for, including when the drink is free in settings such as hospitals or care homes, or when the drink is bought from a vending machine.
Implementation of the charge is to be based on the single-use carrier bag charge introduced in 2014, which the Scottish government described as a ‘success’. As happened with that initiative, net proceeds of the charge should be used ‘for the advancement of environmental protection or improvement’, the consultation says.
The government is inviting responses to the consultation until Nov. 14, 2024.
An estimated 388.7 million single-use beverage cups were used in Scotland in 2021-22, creating 5,400 tonnes of waste. This equates to 71 single-use disposable beverage cups per capita per year, one of the highest compared to nations in the European Union.
The consultation follows the adoption of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill by the Scottish Parliament in June 2024. The bill entered into force on Aug. 8 and gives ministers new powers to introduce legislation that helps develop a circular economy. This includes measures to develop circular economy targets, reducing waste, increasing penalties for littering from vehicles, and improving waste monitoring and sorting.