Views sought on single-use cup charge

People across Scotland are being asked to have their say on a minimum charge for single-use cups to promote responsible consumption and cut waste.

The Scottish Government is consulting on the possible introduction of a 25p charge to all single-use drinks cups when a drink is bought, regardless of material. Exemptions would apply for specific locations and uses, such as in schools. Free drinks in hospital or care settings would not be included in the scope of the charge.

There are already similar charging schemes for cups established in Europe – with the Netherlands introducing a guideline charge of 25 cents on plastic, single-use cups in 2023. Legislation allowing the introduction of environmental levies on single- disposable cups in the Republic of Ireland was also passed in 2022 - although it has yet to come into force.

Under consultation proposals, retailers would be able to retain reasonable implementation costs from the charge – mirroring the approach taken for single-use carrier bags. It also seeks views whether the net proceeds from a charge should be kept by businesses and used for good causes or collected by local or national government.

An estimated 388 million single-use cups were used in Scotland in 2021-22 creating 5,400 tonnes of waste.

The use of single-use plastic carrier bags fell by 80% in the first year in Scotland, following the introduction of a 5p charge in 2014. The charge is widely believed to be a success with the Marine Conservation society annual litter survey reporting an 80% drop in plastic bags found on UK beaches since its implementation.  

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “The success of the single-use carrier bag charge shows how an environmental charge can be an effective tool to change people’s behaviour and encourage responsible consumption.

“While many businesses already have offers in place to encourage the use of reusable drinks cups, hundreds of millions of single-use cups are still being discarded, creating 5,400 tonnes of waste every year. Many of these cups end up littering our roadsides, town centres, beaches and parks.

“Introducing a national charge could provide consistency for consumers, provide a level playing field for retail and businesses and help to drive forward sustainable behaviours. Our proposed approach is similar to the charge for single-use carrier bags and will be familiar to both suppliers and the public. We hope this means that it will minimise any administrative burden on businesses and make it easy for individuals and organisations to adopt.

“I urge everyone to have their say so we ,can choose the most sustainable option for both people and businesses while helping to tackle litter, reduce waste and cut emissions.”

Calum Duncan, Head of Policy and Advocacy at the Marine Conservation Society, said:

"Our volunteers have consistently recorded single-use disposable cups on over half of UK beaches surveyed. 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.

“We know that policies like this work, with our data recently showing an 80% reduction in the average number of plastic carrier bags washing up on beaches since charges on them were introduced.

“We look forward to a similar decline in disposable cups once a charge is introduced, and need further measures from governments to move towards a society where refillable and reusable options are the norm."

Background

• The consultation runs until 14 November. View the consultation
• The Scottish Government will analyse responses in order to understand the full range of views on the proposed approach to the charge and will continue to work with stakeholders to develop final plans.
• Responding to recommendations from the independent Expert Panel on Environmental Charging and Other Measures, the draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map set out the intention to introduce a charge on single-use drinks cups by the end of 2025 – with charge coming into force at a later date. 
• Consultation findings from the draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map
• Marine Conservation Society research on plastic bags 2024
• Single-use disposable cups, EPECOM recommendations, 2019.