It follows the Environmental Audit Committee’s recommendations for ‘Disposable Packaging: Coffee Cups and Plastic Bottles' suggesting a 25p tax per cup (published in December).
To resolve the problem of non-renewable plastic lining in takeaway cups, some manufacturers now use a renewable and recyclable plant-based liner made from sugar cane.
Nisbets has provided a list of the categories operators and consumers should be looking in to:
"Degradable Plastic – In simple terms this means the plastic fragments into lots of tiny pieces. Sounds good? Not really, as these fragments can get washed into the sea, get eaten by plankton and find their way into the food chain and even on to our plates.
"Biodegradable – These types of products can break down naturally with microbes, warmth and moisture. Result? Sort of, but as it is hard to replicate the ideal conditions there is no time line as to how long this takes to happen
"Compostable – These products are made entirely from plant materials. This means that they can biodegrade in under 12 weeks with microbes, heat and moisture and most importantly can be composted with food waste. This compost retains the nutrients vital for healthy soil."