The Scottish government is consulting about charging for single-use disposable beverage cups in Scotland.

In June 2024, the Scottish parliament passed the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act which gives Scottish Ministers new powers to require suppliers of single-use items to charge a minimum amount for such items.  This aims to reduce consumption and so reduce the environmental harm caused. 

The Scottish government says that there is a clear environmental case for change. A charge will encourage the use of reusable alternatives, as well as reducing litter. According to the consultation paper, the consumption of single-use cups in Scotland is estimated to have risen from 200 million in 2018 to 388 million (71 single-use cups per person a year) in 2021-22. They create 5,400 tonnes of waste.

With this in mind, the Scottish government proposes that:

• a charge of at least 25p should apply to all single-use beverage cups when an individual buys a drink of any kind, including through a loyalty scheme, to maximise coverage and ensure the charge is easily understood;
• the charge will apply regardless of cup material and, therefore, would include cups made of biodegradable material or bio-based plastics. While it can be argued that these are more sustainable than traditional plastics, they are still single-use and present their own sustainability challenges including a lack of recycling infrastructure and frequency of littering;
• the charge will not apply when a drink is free, for instance in non-retail settings such as hospitals and care homes;
• there will be a limited number of exemptions based on purpose or setting, for instance in schools and when a drink is bought from a vending machine;
• retailers should be able to retain reasonable implementation costs from the charge, in line with the approach taken for the single use carrier bags charge; and
• if it is legally deliverable within the competence of the Scottish Parliament, that net proceeds of the charge should be used for environmental or similar purposes.

The consultation ends on 14 November, following which the Scottish Government will decide how to implement a charge and develop the final policy and implementation plan.

There are various other single use initiatives going on in the UK, such as those relating to single use vapes, cotton wool buds, and plastic straws. The success of the single use carrier bag charge has demonstrated how an environmental charge can be an effective tool to change behaviour and promote responsible consumption so it will be interesting to see how this proposal develops and if it is replicated across the UK.