Could Scots soon be charged extra 25p for single-use cups?

It would be applied to all single-use disposable beverage cups, regardless of composition or type of drink the cup is intended to be used for.

This includes single-use cups marketed as “biodegradable” or “compostable”.

Most single-use cups are paper, but are lined with plastic to make them waterproof. This makes them difficult to recycle without specialist processes.

An estimated 388.7m single-use beverage cups were used in Scotland in 2021-22, according to the government. This is approximately 71 cups per person.

Under the proposals, there would be exemptions for drinks handed for free in hospitals or care homes, in schools or where using a reusable cup may not be practical.

The consultation states that a number of options are being considered for where the money raised will go. This includes suppliers being allowed to keep the money to spend on environmental protection measures or to donate to a nominated charity.

The idea of treating the money as a tax and being collected centrally by the Scottish government or local authorities is also being considered.