Ireland To Impose ‘Latte Levy’ By 2021 To Cut Plastic Waste

Ireland will impose a so-called latte levy on disposable coffee cups by 2021 in a bid to change consumer habits and cut the environmental impact from the use of single-use plastics, its minister for climate action said on Wednesday.

Ireland has begun to step up action to cut environmental impacts across its economy after exceeding its annual greenhouse gas emissions allocation for the third year running in 2018, pushing it further from its European Union-mandated commitments.

The government hopes the proposed levy of up to €0.25 per cup will encourage coffee drinkers to instead carry around reusable “Keep Cups” that already allow customers to claim a discount in some coffee shops.

ESM