Single-use coffee cups: Wales asked to introduce a "levy on the latte"

A "late levy" on disposable coffee cups should be introduced in Wales to reduce waste, activists said.

British ministers have rejected calls for a tax of 25 pence per cup for single use in the autumn budget, instead proposing a tax on plastic packaging.

Charity City to Sea now wants the Welsh government to take the lead, as was the case with the loading of the 5p carrying bag in 2011.

Welsh ministers said they would continue to look into the matter and monitor companies' voluntary action.

But City to Sea founder Natalie Fee said the issue was urgent and that the fall budget was a "very diluted tax" that would not change people's behavior.

"It has been shown with the load of the 5-piece bag – that when the load is introduced at the point of sale – it significantly reduces consumption," she added.

"So not only [a focus] on recycling, because he still uses tons of plastic, he still uses tons of paper.

"While when people are actually encouraged to bring a cup with them to a cafe and reuse them, we are reducing the resources and use of plastic."

Each year, around 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups, most of which are a combination of paper and plastic, are used in the UK.

Starbucks, Costa, Ready To Eat, Greggs and Caffe Nero all offer discounts on coffee purchased in reusable cups to reduce waste.

Neil Whittall of the Paper Cup Alliance, which represents the UK's leading paper cup manufacturers, called the "slate tax" unnecessary because its cups were 100% recyclable and consumers wanted more recycling.

"The industry has come together to improve the recovery and recycling of paper cups, it's a better way to treat the consumer, and the industry is committed to raising those prices," he said.

He warned that a tax could result in huge job losses in the coffee market and said it was difficult to compare traveling coffee cups and plastic bags. .

The Welsh government said it "was working closely with the British government in the next consultation on the tax on packaging to ensure that the Welsh government continues to be part of the processes of Commitment, policy development and implementation of any tax measure in this area ".

A spokesman said ministers could ask for powers including a tax on single-use cups, but wanted to first evaluate the evidence at a UK government consultation to ensure that any approach " works for Wales ".

Sunday Politics Wales is on BBC One Wales at 11:00 GMT on January 20th.