SUEZ welcomes ‘latte levy,’ but urges government to implement wider reforms

David Palmer-Jones, Chief Executive Officer of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said:

“Taxes on takeaway coffee cups may provide a helpful nudge to consumers to abandon a throw-away culture, but for lasting change, proposals like these need to be part of wider, joined-up reform that shifts the burden of responsibility for all forms of packaging content, recyclability and ultimately their collection, back to the producer.

“Disposable coffee cups may only represent a small fraction of the national annual tonnage of card and plastics produced which are lost from our recycling streams, but they leave the worst taste reminder of how on-the-go consumption can result in needless waste of our precious natural resources.

“For any so-called latte tax to be more than just a light and frothy foam nod to reform, we need to wake up and smell the real coffee needed for a lasting brew – increased investment in sustainable product design, greater use of recyclable materials and better capture of materials at the end of their life, in order to help eradicate the bitter taste litter leaves behind in our streets, hedgerows, rivers and oceans.”