The Government approved legislation yesterday to introduce levies on takeaway coffee cups this year to cut down on single-use items.

The levy rate will be set out after the bill is passed later this year but is thought to be about 20c per cup. The bill also seeks to support the increased use of recycled or reused materials in the Irish market. For the first time, it will define the circular economy in Irish law.

This levy will drive down the use of single-use disposable products – including disposable coffee cups. Nearly half a million of them are sent to landfills or incineration every day, amounting to 200 million cups a year.

The environmental levies on these single-use items will be “ringfenced” and put into a circular economy fund. This means that the Government should only use the money generated from this tax to combat climate-related issues.

Minister of State Ossian Smyth, who is responsible for the circular economy, said it “aims to stop the wasteful pattern of using valuable resources once and then just binning them. From discouraging the use of single-use items to improving the process for allowing recycled materials onto the market, this legislation will support the development of sustainable products and business models across the economy”.

The environmental levies will likely also mandate waste separation. While homes have been separating and recycling their waste for a number of years, commercial businesses are permitted to dispose of all their waste together.

Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan said, “Through a mix of economic incentives and smarter regulation, we can achieve far more sustainable patterns of production and consumption that move us away from the patterns of single-use and throw-away materials and goods that are such a wasteful part of our economic model now,”.

Elsewhere on Char: Daring Pairing: Champagne and Spice Box

Roe & Co has brought back D-8TE for 2022 with a new lineup of local chefs. Click here to book a table for The Salt Project at D-8TE at Roe & Co Distillery’s Power House Garden. And keep an eye on their Instagram for the latest news on all things D-8TE. Please drink Roe & Co responsibly. Visit drinkaware.ie for more information