Have you prepared yourself for the potential introduction of the so-called ‘latte levy’? This proposed tax would charge an additional 20 cents on disposable coffee cups with the intention of dissuading consumers in Ireland from discarding half a million cups daily. Despite the government floating this idea back in 2021, no steps have been taken to implement it yet. However, the residents of Killarney have taken matters into their own hands.
Over one year prior, Killarney in County Kerry pioneered the move to eliminate single-use coffee cups, setting a precedent for the rest of Ireland. Today, if you desire a takeaway coffee in Killarney, it is obligatory to provide your own cup, or alternatively, a deposit of €2 can be paid for a reusable cup, refunded upon its return.
The initiative, dubbed The Killarney Coffee Cup Project, has gained the support of more than 70 local enterprises, educational establishments, sports clubs and community groups. Having celebrated its inaugural anniversary in July, the project has successfully prevented over a million single-use coffee cups from ending up in landfills or as litter.
Killian Treacy from Luna Coffee+Wine in Killarney notes the strong connection the town’s residents have with their local environment, enriched by the adjacent 26,000-acre national park. “It offers an excellent opportunity for locals to contribute positively to their immediate surroundings,” he says.
Moreover, the strategy has also positively impacted the town’s appeal to visitors. Treacy suggests that tourists often express admiration for the town’s actions to combat single-use cup waste. The usual reaction is a wishful desire for their home towns to adopt similar measures.
The project has not only improved waste management but has also gradually shifted local behaviours, says Treacy. He hopes that for regular coffee consumers, adding ‘coffee cup’ to their checklist of ‘phone, keys, wallet’ each morning has become an automatic habit.
Are customers bothered by the leaky buttercup foam from their used cup seeping into their bags or pockets? This doesn’t seem to be a problem in Killarney where coffee shops participating in the reusable cup scheme are plentiful. All you need to do, according to Treacy, is bring your reusable cup to the next coffee shop you visit. They’ll take your old one and replace it with a clean one. No additional purchase necessary.
What about those who, though they’re drinking in, say, request their coffee in a takeaway cup? They argue it keeps their brew warmer for longer. Treacy mentions that this was a prevalent practice prior to the introduction of this scheme. However, he feels the perception is slowly altering. In the present scenario, he asserts, it could cause embarrassment to be caught presenting a disposable cup in public.
Worried about your coffee getting cold? Well, one solution is to simply ask your barista to make it extra hot.
He also suggests customer attraction to the disposable cup is not solely based on its heat retention ability, suggesting that some people simply enjoy the touch and appearance of the takeout cup. He attributes this to the influence of cinema.
There are regions where takeaway coffee cups are not such usual sights. One might struggle to find someone too busy to sit for a coffee in many parts of the Continent.
“It seems we are heavily influenced by America”, Treacy suggests, attributing the preference for coffee ‘on the go’ to this. On the other hand, coffee cultures on the Continent, he points out, invite you to sit and savour your coffee.
However, it seems not everyone is ready to jump aboard the train. “Mainly, it’s the independent coffee shops that are joining the initiative. The Centras and Spars, which are self-service based, still hand out paper cups. It’s a tad disheartening”, says Treacy.
According to the Killarney Coffee Cup Project, only a meagre one per cent of recyclable marked cups get fully recycled.
Many paper cups marketed as biodegradable or recyclable fall short due to the inner plastic lining that poses a massive difficulty for recycling plants. Meaning, that a staggering 99 per cent of cups labeled as ‘recyclable’ will never reach a recycling facility.
Treacy soundly predicts the imminent arrival of a levy on disposable coffee cups, adding an extra 20 cent to your takeaway coffee. So why wait? Get ahead of the curve, be ready for the tax and support the environment by investing in a reusable cup now.