coffee cups Archives - Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer

Disposable cup levy to be introduced in coming months

Linda Stewart — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 11:25:54 +0000

A new ‘latte levy’ to restrict the use of disposable coffee cups is set to be introduced in the coming months.The legislation to incentivise the use of recycled and reusable alternatives to single-use disposable packaging has been signed into law by President Micheal D Higgins.

The new law also paves the way for use of CCTV to detect and deter illegal dumping and littering.

Ossian Smyth, the minister of state with responsibility for Communications and the Circular Economy, said that the Government is to enter into a public consultation process with regard to the levy.

“It’s going to take about 90 days for us to do the public consultation. It’s not just about coffee cups, it’s any food packaging or any product packaging,” he said.

“If we find out that there is a good reusable alternative and we think it’s feasible to move to that, we can put a small levy on something and encourage consumers to change.

“We’re starting with coffee cups. We’ve been through this process before with plastic bags 20 years ago and we made exceptions.”

The minister added that the Government will take a “very practical approach” but that there are many cafes that have already removed disposable cups and “it’s working really well for them”.

“Nobody is going to be caught short on this and it’s going to save you money on your coffee,” he said.

“You’re not going to have to pay for that cup because the cup costs the café 20 cent.”

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Two-thirds of consumers don’t support coffee cup ban

Linda Stewart — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 10:19:52 +0000

Almost two-thirds of Irish consumers oppose a ban on single-use takeaway coffee cups, according to a new survey.

The data was collected on behalf of the Restaurant Association of Ireland (RAI), which opposes the Government’s proposed measures to limit the use of paper-based cups.

The association, which has 2,500 members, said that those working in the hospitality industry would rather see the Government focus on improving recycling capacity in the State.

“There are around 15,000 employees in the coffee-related hospitality sector in Ireland, and the vast majority of coffee shop business is takeaway trade. These to-go outlets – often small, family-run businesses – will have to shoulder the burden of the levy and prospective ban on cups,” said RAI Chief Executive Adrian Cummins.

“We all recognise that Ireland must do more to reduce its plastics use and littering levels, but banning compostable and recyclable paper-based cups in favour of hard plastic cups isn’t the way to go about it.

“The market will be driven towards cheap and low-quality items made entirely of hard plastics, with limited reuse potential.”

The so-called ‘latte levy’, which will see the introduction of a 20-cent levy on all disposable paper coffee cups, has faced resistance from stakeholders since the idea was first floated.

According to the RAI’s data, 63% of people feel that recyclable and compostable cups should be excluded from the levy, while nearly three in four feel that paper-based cups should not be subject to it.

The measure is set to be introduced under the Government’s Circular Economy Bill by the end of this year.

It is hoped that the move will encourage customers to switch to reusable items and help curb the dumping of 200 million coffee cups per year.

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Latte Levy is an unwelcome extra burden on retailers: The Fed

Linda Stewart — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 09:56:07 +0000

Independent retailers in Ireland say the so-called ‘Latte Levy’, which is due to be implemented in December, will be bad for business and another unwelcome burden on store owners, says The Fed.

From December 1, 2002, the government is to impose a 20 cent levy on every hot beverage single use cup at point of sale, with the tax payable by the person selling the product, i.e. the retailer.

Aiden Roche, a member of the Fed (Federation of Independent Retailers) and owner of the Daybreak store in Co. Dublin, said: “Any price increase is bad for business, especially at a time when the cost of living is rising. This levy is going to push the price of a takeaway coffee over the €3 mark and it is bound to affect sales.

“Reusable cups haven’t really taken off and not many people use them. It’s not going to be good for retail.”

Another Fed member, Tom McDermott from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, believes the levy is a further burden on retailers.

He said: “From an environmental point of view, I suppose they have to do something, but the tax should be paid at source and not up to individual retailers to collect it and pay it to the government.

“It’s going to create more work in terms of admin for retailers for no return and it’s going to cause confusion at the tills, with people who have a reusable cup paying one price and other customers paying a different price.”

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Government needs to rethink coffee cup levy: Retail Excellence

Linda Stewart — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 09:11:53 +0000

A proposed 20 cent levy on single-use coffee cups “sends the wrong message on sustainability” and the Government needs to rethink its strategy, according to Retail Excellence.

The measure was announced earlier this year by the Government as part of the Circular Economy Bill, which is aimed at reducing waste and influencing behaviour.

Minister of State Ossian Smyth has said the levy is designed to wean people off single use containers and switch to reusable keep cups.

When announcing the measures contained in the bill in late March, Mr Smyth said the use of reusable cups for takeaway coffee had dwindled during the Covid pandemic, but stressed that public health advice said they were safe and there should be no concerns about spreading Covid-19.

However, Managing Director of Retail Excellence Duncan Graham now says the proposed levy has sent out a mixed message to retailers, does not make sense and could have unintended consequences for businesses.

“The reality behind this, and where the Greens are taking us with this one, is the elimination of paper cups and the replacement of them with plastic reusable cups,” he said.

“Paper cups are recyclable and are often compostable and we’re replacing that with a plastic cup that potentially ends up in landfill, and that’s a major cause of concern for us.”

Mr Graham said the Government should look at providing workplaces with recyclable containers so that people can dispose of their takeaway coffee cups separately.

He cited a UK study that claimed only 6% of people said they would move permanently towards a keep cup, while 8% would choose to forego a takeaway coffee if a levy was imposed.

Mr Graham said retailers do want to make sustainable changes, but the focus at the moment seems to be on reuse.

“We’re just saying that alongside reuse, we also need to look at recycle, and the Government has its part to play in terms of providing those recycling points and not adding a significant cost to an industry at this moment in time,” he said.

Mr Graham also said that 80% of businesses recently surveyed by Retail Excellence wanted to become more sustainable, while 77% said they need to change some practices and adopt more sustainable products.

He said many “simply didn’t know where to start” and needed advice and further direction.

Retail Excellence is launching a Sustainable Irish Retail Action initiative in conjunction with Champion Green to support businesses to take practical steps in becoming more sustainable.

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