The Scottish Government has launched a new consultation on introducing a 25p charge to all single-use drink cups, regardless of its material.
Under consultation proposals, retailers would be able to retain reasonable implementation costs from the charge, which mirrors the approach taken for single-use carrier bags.
The use of single-use plastic carrier bags fell by 80% in the first year in Scotland, following the introduction of a 5p charge in 2014, the Scottish Government said.
The consultation also seeks views on whether the net proceeds from a charge should be kept by businesses and used for good causes or collected by local or national government.
Exemptions would apply for specific locations and uses, such as in schools, however, free drinks in hospital or care settings would not be included in the scope of the charge.
Introducing a national charge could provide consistency for consumers, provide a level playing field for retail and businesses and help to drive forward sustainable behaviours.
Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin said: “While many businesses already have offers in place to encourage the use of reusable drinks cups, hundreds of millions of single-use cups are still being discarded, creating 5,400 tonnes of waste every year. Many of these cups end up littering our roadsides, town centres, beaches and parks.
“Introducing a national charge could provide consistency for consumers, provide a level playing field for retail and businesses and help to drive forward sustainable behaviours.
“Our proposed approach is similar to the charge for single-use carrier bags and will be familiar to both suppliers and the public.
“We hope this means that it will minimise any administrative burden on businesses and make it easy for individuals and organisations to adopt.”
