Could The Latte Levy Kill Your Local?

The government has proposed tackling coffee cup waste with a tax on takeaways – but the financial impact on independent cafés could be devastating

The first act of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee in 2018 was an attempt to tackle the thorny issue of disposable coffee cups. Because these are difficult to recycle owing to their compound nature, the committee called for a minimum charge on each cup purchased, with 25p the suggested tariff. Inevitably it was immediately dubbed the “latte levy”.

It’s still only a proposal at this stage, although it has some public support – a poll for the Independent showed that 54% of people are in favour. Here at Caffeine, however, while we recognise the importance of tackling disposable cup waste, we are concerned that the potential impact on small independent coffee shops is not being considered. There seems to be an assumption among many in the public and press – and indeed on the committee – that coffee shops are making large profits and that they should take responsibility. But, it hardly needs saying, not all coffee businesses are Starbucks.