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Lib Dem coffee cup charge backed by MPs on Environment Committee

by Steve Beasant on 5 January, 2018

MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee have published a report backing Liberal Democrat calls for a charge on disposable coffee cups.

The Committee has called on the Government to introduce a 25p levy on disposable coffee cups and a target to ensure they are all recycled by 2023.

The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning for a charge on coffee cups since September 2016, and were the only party to include the policy in their 2017 Manifesto.

The policy would build on the success of the 5p charge on plastic bags introduced by the Liberal Democrats in government, which has slashed usage in England by over 80%.

Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron said:

“I’m glad our call for a coffee cup charge is gaining traction.

“The evidence is clear that these levies work – the 5p charge on plastic bags has massively reduced usage and helped protect our environment.

“The government must introduce a levy on disposable coffee cups as soon as possible, starting with its own catering services.

“Every day that ministers sit and do nothing, another half-a-million cups will end up needlessly littering our towns and countryside.”

Notes

The Liberal Democrats launched a campaign calling for the introduction of a charge on disposable coffee cups in September 2016 (link)

The Liberal Democrats were the only party to call for the introduction of a coffee cup charge in their 2017 manifesto (link, p.53)

Recent Liberal Democrat research revealed that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has purchased 2.5 million cups in the past five years, equivalent to 1,400 a day (link).

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