The Latte Levy - Fighting Single-Use Plastic Cups

The Latte Levy - Fighting Single-Use Plastic Cups

You may have heard the term latte levy and wondered what it means? We explain what it’s all about and why it’s such a hot topic.

As a nation of tea and coffee lovers, it comes as no surprise that the average Brit spends £2,210 in coffee shops every year. Unfortunately, this coffee obsession has had some serious consequences for our planet and the numbers soon add up.

For example, did you know, every year it is estimated that 2.1 billion single-use coffee cups end up in landfills throughout the UK? In the UK, charities are striving to help reduce our waste and encourage recycling, and whilst the Local Government Association reports that recycling in England has quadrupled in the last decade, now is not the time to stop.

It is imperative that we continue to find ways to improve our day-to-day behaviour, which is why this year, charities and MPs have been calling for an introduction of a “latte levy” in takeaway coffee shops, which could be a landmark initiative for our oceans.

So what is a “latte levy” and how will it save our oceans?

As awareness increases surrounding reusability, sustainability, recycling and our use of plastic, more people are ‘waking up and smelling the coffee’! It’s no joke that our over reliance on single-use plastic cups is damaging the planet and particularly our marine environments.

The “latte levy” was put forward to the Government following a report released back in January by the Environmental Audit Committee. It is suggested that a 25p “latte levy” will further encourage customers to find alternatives to the single-use plastic cups currently offered by coffee shops.This would be combined with a target to see the removal of single-use cups altogether from stores by 2023.

When you hear it like this you wonder why we ever started using single-use cups at all, right?

Can’t I just recycle the cup?

A common misconception is that single-use coffee cups are recyclable. Most people in this day and age will go to extra lengths to seek out recycling bins for their cups and yet it could all be in vain! This is due to the complex nature in which the cups are manufactured to keep the heat in, combining paper and plastic components. In fact, there are only three facilities in the whole of the UK which are capable of fully splitting the paper and plastic that make up these cups, resulting in a rough estimate of only 0.25% cups recycled.

But it’s only 25p, right? That won’t make a difference.

Wrong.

Levies work.

We have proof in the UK. The introduction of a 5p charge for plastic bags started a transition, which now sees most people come prepared for their grocery shop with a range of bags for life. Only last month Prime Minister Theresa May indicated that she was preparing to increase the charge to 10p per bag and we predict that many stores will look to phase out plastic bags within the next 12 months, just as their counterparts in Australia and New Zealand have done.

Why hasn’t the same thing been adopted for coffee cups? Just like plastic bags, these cups are hugely damaging for our oceans.

Not only do these types of plastics take hundreds of years to actually breakdown, but really and truly they are not breaking down fully at all! They are producing ‘micro plastics’ that are easily consumed by fish and marine mammals via their food, water and chemicals in their environment which of course can then enter the human food chain.

Food for thought indeed...


Whilst the environment is the central focus for our plight, we at GlobalWAKEcup have a mission to heal our planet and save you money too. We’ve done the maths. Through testing and re-testing our high quality products, we can estimate that our customers will get 1,095 uses out of their WAKEcup which gives you a coffee every day, for 3 years.This means purchasing a reusable cup, could save you £500+ over its lifetime when compared to a single-use coffee cup - based on a saving of 50p per cup.

More businesses are going plastic free

Following on from this year’s plastic free July, it is exciting to see how many steps customers are now willing to take to reduce their consumption of plastic all year round.

Businesses all over the country are doing their best to reduce their plastic footprint, work closely with sustainable sources and find solutions that benefit local, small businesses and our environment at the same time.

The sustainable products industry has opened up, with hundreds of businesses turning their passion for the planet into a profitable company. For example, plastic toys are being replaced with beautiful, hand painted, wooden toys by Kent based toy business, Eric & Alberts Crafts.Meanwhile, a plastic cling film alternative has been created using natural beeswax wraps by Gloucestershire business, The Beeswax Wrap Co.

Meanwhile, at GlobalWAKEcup we are producing bamboo coffee cups and vegan rucksacks to replace the single-use plastics we drink and shop with every day. We are so excited to be working alongside and in tandem with these other intuitive businesses and paving the way for future generations.

Benefits of buying sustainable products

The real benefit of buying greener and more sustainable products is that we are starting the healing process for our planet after decades of damage. When we choose reusable, the number of cups going to landfill drops dramatically, these products last longer, save us money and can be widely recycled. Not to mention, when you buy from businesses who have a focus and ethos for saving the planet, you’re helping a wider cause.

In the case of GlobalWAKEcup, we contribute 10% of our profits to the Marine Conservation Society, because we really are passionate about our oceans.

What’s next for the fight on single use plastic?

Whilst we must not become complacent and should all continue to lobby for change through education, recent reports indicate that the Chancellor Philip Hammond will use this Autumn’s budget to either introduce a 25-50p single-use tax, or increase the exiting tax on non-recyclable plastic packaging known as the “packaging recovery notes”.

Fortunately, most retailers are already offering money off when you take in your WAKEcup and some, including Starbucks, have picked up on the importance of the initiative and introduced their own 5p levy which was rolled out to all 950 of their UK stores on 26th July 2018.

Combined with the discount they give if you use a reusable cup, these retailers are stepping up to the plate. We can only urge the government to do their bit and the right thing for our shared oceans, by placing a compulsory and immediate tax on all single-use cups.

Let us know your thoughts, is a latte levy the answer and do you have you reusable cup at the ready in the fight against single use plastic?

Back to blog