LATTE LEVY OF 25p A CUP

Consultation on waste-slashing scheme follows plastic bag win

- DAN VEVERS

PLANS to hit Scots with a 25p "latte levy" on all single-use cups have taken a step forward.

SNP ministers have now launched a consultation to ask the public for their views on the proposals which it's hoped will slash waste.

The policy is similar to the carrier bag charge introduced in shops and supermarkets in 2014 which aimed to eradicate their use and shift people towards reusable bags.

The power to introduce levies for disposable items is a key plank of the Scottish Government's flagship Circular Economy Bill.

Research in 2019 suggested the single-use cup charge would lead to a behaviour change in 49 per cent of the population.

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: "The success of the single-use carrier bag charge shows how an environmental charge can be an effective tool to change behaviour and encourage responsible consumption.