With news that the proposed Latte Levy will cost the UK economy £819m and 11,000 jobs in the coffee retail sectorº, are we missing a simpler, more cost-effective and more economy friendly solution?
What is the Latte Levy?
MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee are asking for the Government to introduce a “latte levy” – essentially a 25p charge on every disposable coffee cup bought by consumers.
Why is the Environmental Audit Committee calling for it?A single-use coffee cup’s life span is as long as it takes to drink your latte (…other coffee, tea and even hot chocolate beverages are available). Yet, the plastic that lines the cup (which makes it waterproof) takes hundreds of years to break down. With the UK estimated to throw away 7m each day, something has to be done. The Environment Audit Committee propose that unless single-use coffee cups are fully recyclable by 2023 they should be banned. And, until then, a 25p Latte Levy (or tax) should be charged. |
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The critics?
There are a few. The Paper Cup Alliance (PCA)º suggest that a “latte levy” will see only a small percentage of customers switch to reusable, with a larger percentage simply opting to stop buying them at all.
The PCA also claims if the levy were brought in then hundreds of manufacturing jobs would be lost, along with many more in the wider “coffee economy” which has more than 100,000 staff†.
Until the nation agrees on this much debated it’s on / it’s off hot topic, is there an alternative?
So, what’s the alternative? Go circular with CafeCrush™
In summary, it’s a reverse vending or deposit return solution for single-use cups that can either shred (for maximum waste volume reduction) or compact.
There’s a lot of talk regarding bottle deposit return schemes, but the same can be achieved with a single-use coffee cup thanks to CafeCrush™.
Ideal for businesses wishing to:
Also, ideal for businesses which lack space for a large industrial compactor. CafeCrush™ is (as shown to the right) the size of your average vending machine, making it fit right at home in your office interior design. Not convinced? CafeCrush™ has recently been promoted by Hubbub UK as they prepare to launch a campaign later this month on behalf of Costa. For more details, go to LinkedIn and search: #DriveDownLitter |
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