Kerry town that was first to tackle single-use coffee cups urges action on ‘latte levy’

A town that became the first in Ireland to try to cut out single-use coffee cups has challenged the Government to fully implement the so-called “latte levy” and reduce the potential for ­litter nationwide.

Killarney Coffee Cup Project issued the appeal as it noted that the Kerry town had soared into a top 10 ranking for cleanliness by the group Irish Business Against Litter (Ibal) after it made the move on July 31 last year. Participating businesses offer customers reusable coffee cups, rather than single-use ones.

Ibal has also endorsed calls for the 20c latte levy to be used to reduce litter.

The project’s backers said the 20c levy was outlined two years ago but had still not been enacted on a national basis.

Luna coffee shop owners Killian and Emily Treacy said Killarney had clearly demonstrated that the move away from single-use cups could work.

“We are delighted with the progress the Killarney Coffee Cup Project has made in its first year,” Mr Treacy said.

“This is something that we are really proud of, particularly given we were the first town in Ireland to introduce this measure. The project has been warmly received by both locals and tourists in Killarney, who see the benefit a project like this is having on our local environment and national park. There’s been a visible reduction in waste in the national park and on our streets since the project commenced last year.”

An independent study found Killarney had seen a 60pc fall in roadside coffee-cup litter compared with other Kerry towns. Since it launched, the project has prevented more than one million single-use coffee cups from either ending up in landfill or ending up as litter in the town.

Killarney retailers said they had been taken aback that, despite the success of their project, the Government had still not enacted the latte levy.

“A key factor in deciding to go ahead with this project was the expected latte levy from the Government, a 20c tax on single-use coffee cups in Ireland,” Mr Treacy said.

“The levy was signed into law almost two years ago, yet it still hasn’t been acted upon by the Government despite commitments to do so in the first half of 2023. This has been a major disappointment from a policy perspective, as we feel that we have done the right thing by the environment but haven’t been supported through action from the Government.”

Killarney’s Coffee Cup Project has more than 70 participants, primarily independent coffee shops and hotels.

“There is a cohort of non-participants including a small number of independent coffee shops, an international coffee shop chain and a few retailers who have decided not to join the project yet,” Mr Treacy said.

“Without the proposed levy, there is no financial disincentive to dissuade consumers from purchasing takeaway coffee in single-use coffee cups from these businesses.

“Ultimately, this means more unnecessary waste going to landfill and litter in our national park.

“Additionally, it is extremely difficult for project participants to compete with bigger brands who continue serving single-use coffee cups here in Killarney, undermining the ethos of this community project.”

The project has now challenged the Government to honour its commitments and follow through on the latte levy.

“While the public and minister’s support for the project has been welcomed, we feel we need more than a pat on the back – we also need the latte levy acted upon to ensure we are not suffering financially for doing the right thing,” Mr Treacy said.

“It is our hope that this would ensure the continued success of the Killarney Coffee Cup Project and also encourage other towns in Ireland to develop similar projects of their own.

“To date, over 20 towns have reached out with a view to implementing similar projects. However, there’s a sense from them that without an incoming levy, it’s proving difficult to bring enough businesses on board.”

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