Pay a little more for a coffee cup or bring your own: from 1 July, entrepreneurs must comply with new rules for the use of plastic in disposable packaging. The plastic tax mainly affects those who want to eat or drink on the go, for example a coffee to go or fries in a plastic container. Entrepreneurs struggle with it.
The new rules should ensure that the use of plastic cups is significantly reduced.
“Unfortunately, we cannot escape this ‘plastic tax’,” says Jan-Willem van der Aa, co-founder of Coffeelab. The originally Eindhoven coffee chain uses plastic in its cups. “Minimal, but essential. Our cups have a plastic seal layer that prevents them from leaking. If you removed that, it would be like pouring your coffee into a rolled-up newspaper.”
A cup without plastic is therefore not possible. That’s why it’s going to pay a little more for those who get coffee. “The government advises entrepreneurs about 25 cents extra. We will never do that”, Van der Aa responds. “It will probably be something around 10 cents.”
Discount for own cup
The new rules should ensure that the use of plastic cups is significantly reduced. Or that people bring their own cup. They are already responding to that at Coffeelab. “We already offer discounts if people bring their own cup, we have also recently increased that discount. Bring your own cup and grab that discount instead of paying extra, is our advice.”
Actually earlier
Originally, the rules were to take effect at the beginning of this year, but because the catering industry asked for a postponement, the date has been moved to July 1. This gave entrepreneurs time to look for alternatives. But that is not that easy, says Van der Aa: “We are working hard on it. We are talking to wholesalers and suppliers. But there is not yet a sustainable alternative on a large scale. And when it is there soon, what will be the price?”
The rules in short
The rules are as follows. As of 1 July, plastic disposable cups and trays (for fries, for example) may no longer be given free of charge. Customers must pay a surcharge for this packaging, which is shown separately on the receipt. The government advises entrepreneurs to charge 25 cents for cups and 50 cents for meal packs. It is up to the entrepreneurs to choose whether to adopt that recommended price.
2023-05-27 14:47:10
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