Recently, the government has decided, against a recommendation from the Environmental Audit Committee, not to implement the proposed 25p 'latte levy’ charge on disposable coffee cups. In this blog post, we’ll run through what this means for the industry, and what packaging companies can learn from these recent developments.
The problem still needs to be solved
The environmental impact of waste packaging is still massive, from microbeads in the ocean interfering with marine life to carrier bags polluting the wider environment. Packaging companies are on the front line, so they need to come up with the solutions to safeguard our future and that of the environment. Luckily, there are plenty of ways in which the packaging sector can ameliorate these problems - making sure we as food packaging suppliers are moving away from being synonymous with pollution.
Strengthen the recycling process
Part of the reasoning behind the government’s recent rejection of the levy was that they would prefer boosting the recycling process rather than imposing a further tax on an already stretched UK consumer. Neil Whittall, chairman of the Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group, concurred, telling Packaging News that there needs to be an increase in 'binfrastructure’ - i.e. a means of correctly disposing of coffee cups with lids , ensuring that there is a proper recycling process going on.
Invest in the alternatives
There are a lot of eco-friendly packaging materials available, and we’re committed to bringing them to our consumers. Compostable coffee cups are a great solution when combined with compostable lids made of CPLA - Polylactic Acid, derived from corn starch - meaning it comes from a completely natural source. A large scale investment in these types of packaging, combined with a more robust infrastructure - like, for example, the system used in Sweden - would go a long way to solving this problem.
Educate the consumer
The consumer needs to be fully educated with regards to the full recycling process in this country, to promote a change across all segments of the issue - from the consumer, to the retailer and on to the packaging producer. Whittall also mentioned this, claiming that consumers need to understand that using a paper cup as a small bin, as convenient as it is, makes the recycling process a whole lot harder.
It’s obvious that the best approach going forward after the rejection of the 'latte levy’ is a multi-pronged, intelligent strategy, as producers, retailers and consumers all need to work together to protect the environment and reduce waste. This means producing high-quality disposable cups with lids using eco-friendly materials and ensuring they are recycled properly.
Click here to browse our full range of eco-friendly and compostable food and drink packaging today.
