Scottish Government single-use plastic cup charge must be higher
Between 2021 and 2022 Scotland used 388million disposable cups.
This created a total of 5,400 tonnes of waste, all of which could be avoided with a ban on single use plastics.
However, the Holyrood is currently proposing a 25p charge for all single-use cups, regardless of the material they’re made from.
Now campaigners are arguing that the fine would not be enough, citing the introduction of plastic bag charges as a key contributor to a decrease in use of around 80% for Scotland. It has also been suggested that any profit from the charge – which retailers would retain in full – should be used to fund environmental projects.
‘It’s about time measures are taken to tackle disposable cup waste, but 25p is too low a charge, said Mark Hall, co-founder of BusinessWaste.co.uk. ‘This won’t be enough to truly make a change and stop people using them. Most plastic bags these days cost between 30p and 60p and they still fly off the shelves. Instead it should be increased to at least £1 to have a significant impact.’
‘Our volunteers have recorded single-use disposable cups on over half of UK beaches,’ said Calum Duncan, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Marine Conservation Society. ‘We need to see charges on these kinds of items to reduce litter in our seas and prevent it from damaging our precious marine life.’
Tackling the plastic crisis is an environmental priority, but efforts largely focus on recycling and reducing waste, rather than consumption in the first place. This is despite a recent report by Exxon suggesting that by 2050 demand for oil will still be at current levels, and may even have increased, with plastics a key driver behind this, alongside heavy duty transport.
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Image: Sagar Chaudhray