MSPs face 25p "green" tax on takeaway coffees at Holyrood

MSPs are to face a 25p "tax" on their takeaway coffees after the Scottish Parliament decided to introduce a charge for disposable cups.

The move, which will apply in all the catering outlets at Holyrood from November 4, is intended to reduce waste and reduce the Holyrood building’s carbon footprint by encouraging politicians, staff and visitors to switch from single-use to reusable cups.

The parliament has already withdrawn plastic straws and introduced sustainable packaging materials including starch-based cutlery, bio-plastic food containers and mixed card coffee cups.

Money raised from the charge will go towards environmental and social initiatives. Past in-house schemes have seen donations made to a local primary school to support bio-diversity initiatives.

The charge will apply at all the Scottish Parliament's catering outlets

The parliament says while its takeaway packaging can be composted, the new charge aims to discourage single-use cups regardless of their sustainable material type.

Victoria Barby, Scottish Parliament environmental performance manager said: “The Scottish Parliament currently goes through around 60,000 single-use cups a year, but it’s a waste that can be avoided.

“By adopting a 25p charge on single-use cups, visitors and people who work here will hopefully switch to greener, reusable alternatives.

“It’s only a small change in behaviour but it can reduce waste and reduce the parliament’s carbon footprint.”

The parliament said it had reduced its carbon footprint by 47 per cent since 2005/06 and reduced the amount of waste it produces by 81 per cent since 2005/06, as well as recycling or composting 73 per cent of its waste.

In a message to MSPs announcing the new charge, Colin Chisholm, chair of the parliament's sustainable development board, said: "As we all know, climate change is high on the political and public agenda. It is vital that we continue to look at ways to improve our environmental performance."

The parliament has one public café and a coffee bar for passholders in the garden lobby.

Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs welcomed the charge. He said: “It is important for the Scottish Parliament to practice what they preach and this policy should significantly reduce the number of plastic cups used by the parliament every year.

“Our environment is hugely important and more measures such as this one will help make the improvement that we simply have to see.

“If staff at the parliament don’t want to go and buy a new re-usable cup they can use a mug they already own to help reduce the number of disposable cups used every year.”