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‘Latte levy’ to reduce plastic waste in parliament

17th May 2018 - 07:00
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MPs and peers will have to pay a 25p ‘latte levy’ if they use a disposable coffee cup in parliament, under new plans to reduce plastic waste.

According to The Times, plastic bottles of mineral water will be banned from parliament, with extra water dispensers installed for reusable bottles.

The changes will be introduced this summer and mean parliament will test ideas the government may introduce nationwide.

Plastic sachets of condiments will also be banned, and replaced with refillable containers.

Plastic cutlery and straws will be replaced by non-plastic alternatives and disposable coffee cups will be made from compostable material, with incentives for those bringing reusable cups.

Retail outlets on the parliamentary estate will replace plastic carrier bags with paper bags next year.

Mary Creagh, Labour chairwoman of the Commons environmental audit committee, said: “This is an important first step to creating the world’s first plastic-free parliament.

“The government should follow parliament’s lead and introduce a ‘latte levy’ for coffee cups, a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles, and make sure that those who produce the packaging pay to recycle it.”

Sir Paul Beresford, chairman of the Commons administration committee, added: “Our aim is to remove, as far as possible, disposable plastic items from the parliamentary estate. Our challenging targets reflect parliament’s commitment to leading the way in environmental sustainability.”

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