Single-Use Disposable Beverage Cups Charge: Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment

5. Consultation

Within government

The Scottish Government Circular Economy Division has engaged with other relevant teams across the Scottish Government regarding the potential impacts of the policy on:

• Socio-economic inequality issues such as low income, low wealth, and area deprivation;
• Different geographic communities including island communities; and
• People with protected characteristics.

Single-Use Disposable Beverage Cups Advisory Group

Following on from the 2020-21 Programme for Government commitment to 'plan to take further steps to consult on a charge for single-use disposable beverage cups', the Single-use Disposable Cups Charge Advisory Group was established^[58]. To date, the group has provided expertise and advice on the development and implementation of a minimum charge on single-use disposable beverage cups in Scotland and facilitated access to expertise and resources from participants within the group and their broader networks. Members include the following business representatives:

• Scottish Grocers’ Federation;
• Scottish Wholesale Association;
• Federation of Small Businesses;
• Scottish Beer and Pub Association;
• UK Hospitality;
• Compass Scotland;
• Scottish Licensed Trade Association; and
• Scottish Retail Consortium.

Public consultation

This partial BRIA will be published alongside the Scottish Government consultation on the proposed charge on single-use disposable beverage cups. That public consultation will run for 12 weeks from 12 August to 4 November 2024.

Business

Engagement with business through the Scottish Firms Impact Test (SFIT) will identify:

• Evidence base for the current state of the market for single-use disposable beverage cups in Scotland. Specifically, the splits between hot and cold drinks, and sit-in versus on-the-go consumption, and costs involved in providing single-use disposable beverage cups for different beverages;
• Industry views on the possible implications of a single-use disposable beverage cups charge. i.e., what actions may different businesses take in response? Will they take actions to avoid the charge, internalise it into general cost structures, or pass the costs onto consumers?;
• What effect will these actions have on consumer demand and overall material use?; and
• The potential for unintended consequences of the charge.

To understand the full impacts of the proposed legislation on small, medium, and large businesses, discussions with an appropriate cross-section of affected business stakeholders will be held. It is expected that the following stakeholder groups will be directly affected by the proposed legislation:

• Scottish manufacturers;
• Suppliers;
• Wholesalers;
• Hospitality businesses;
• Retail and retail representative bodies; and
• Recycling and waste management organisations.

The following stakeholder groups are expected to be indirectly affected by the proposed legislation: Raw material suppliers; equipment suppliers.