Senators will debate the ‘latte levy’ bill in Leinster House on Tuesday as retailers and environmentalists clash over the proposed new legislation.
The Circular Economy Bill proposes to impose a 20c levy on all takeaway coffee cups to encourage people to bring their own keep-cups and cut down on disposable coffee cups waste.
It’s estimated by the Green party that café drinkers throw away 200,000 million coffee cups in Ireland every year, or 22,000 cups per hour.
Read More: 'Latte levy' of up to 25 cent to hit single-use coffee cups in Ireland
But retailers argue they are already pushed to the pin of their collar with rising business costs and that now is not the right time to introduce an added burden for business and consumers.
However, there was also a new report on litter yesterday (MON) that found disposable coffee cups is a major cause of litter pollution on our streets.
Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) spokesman Conor Horgan told RTE’s Morning Ireland: “The findings bear out the need for action on coffee cups.
“We must disincentivise the use of paper cups – even compostable or recyclable ones – as too many of them are ending up on the ground.
“In the light of our survey, the Government move towards a levy makes a lot of sense.”
The litter survey was carried out by An Taisce on behalf of IBAL and the environment and heritage organisation receives funding from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to carry out the initiative.
But Duncan Graham of Retail Excellence Ireland said the Bill is sending “mixed messages” to retailers because they are asking them to replace paper, takeaway cups with plastic cups which cannot be recycled.
VOICE (Voice Of Irish Concern for theEnvironment) is an environmental charity advocating for effective waste and circular economy policy in Ireland and on an EU level.
Mindy O'Brien, Chief executive of VOICE said: "Industry push back against the levy at this stage is a little disingenuous.
“This levy has been coming down the line for some time now, yet we still haven’t seen any voluntary moves from retail or the packaging industry that will solve this issue.
“This ‘latte levy’ will create the change that we need.”
Politicians are being lobbied by both sides of the argument in the run-up to the issue coming to the floor of the Oireachtas again tomorrow.
The Government has passed the Circular Economy Bill at its initial stage at the Cabinet table, but in order for it to become law it has to formally pass through the Dáil and Seanad as well.
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