ZERO Waste Scotland is urging any businesses and organisations keen to have a say on the Scottish Government consultation on introducing a charge on single-use cups to do so before it closes.
The deadline for responses to the policy proposal is November 14. The consultation proposes introducing a charge of around 25p on single-use cups for both hot and cold drinks, with a small number of exceptions for settings like schools.
Over 380 million single-use cups are used in Scotland every year. Zero Waste Scotland said survey data shows 56% of people in Scotland think more needs to be done to tackle single-use items and back additional measures such as bans or charges to reduce waste.
The organisation added that 60% of people in Scotland say they would buy fewer drinks in single-use cups if these were charged for, while 74% say a charge would encourage them to use a reusable cup more often.
Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said, “The proposed charge for single-use cups is another really important step to help us move away from our throwaway society and towards a more circular economy. Our on-the-go culture has fuelled an enormous rise in single-use items that are a waste of resources and end up polluting our natural environment.
“Measures, like the single-use carrier bag charge, have shown that small financial disincentives are an effective way of changing behaviour towards single-use items and can help switch people on to reusable alternatives. We appreciate the implementation of a cup charge can lead to additional considerations for retailers, which is why I would strongly urge them to engage in this consultation – so decision-makers can best understand how to enact this important measure in a way that works well for retailers and customers alike.”
The consultation on charging for single use disposable beverage cups can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/charging-single-use-disposable-beverage-cups-consultation/
