‘Latte levy’ of 25p for disposable coffee cups moves a step closer

A ‘latte levy’ of 25p to discourage the use of disposable coffee cups moved a step closer yesterday as environment minister George Eustice said the Government had an ‘open mind’ about introducing such a charge.

The Daily Mail has called for a levy as part of the campaign to turn the tide on plastic debris which pollutes our seas.

There are more than 2.5billion plastic cups used each year, but just one in 400 is recycled.

The Environmental Audit Committee has suggested a 25p charge would discourage their use – a so-called ‘latte levy’.

During a backbench debate yesterday, Mr Eustice said suggestions that the levy idea had been abandoned were incorrect, adding: ‘We do believe this is a very important issue.’ A Treasury consultation on single-use plastics, including coffee cups, closes today.

Labour MP Mary Creagh, chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee, has called on the Government to compel manufacturers to make single-use cups fully recyclable or face a ban by 2022.

÷ A reverse vending machine offering 10p for every waste plastic bottle is to be available for the first time in the UK at an Iceland store. Such machines are used across the Continent, particularly Germany and Scandinavia, where they are central to successful deposit and return schemes.

‘One in 400 is recycled’