Member

Between their consultation response and the publication of the SI, the previous Government announced that only premises employing 10 or more full-time equivalent employees would be mandated to take back cups. That announcement served to confirm that the take-back scheme would go ahead, with a timetable for inclusion in this SI. The industry received a shock when the SI did not include paper cup take-back. No announcement or statement was made by Defra on this. The whole point of cup take-back was to set a precedent for packaging that would not normally be disposed of in domestic bins. In early discussions, Defra raised the possibility of similar schemes for confectionery and snack packaging. As there is no ability to amend any SI, I would be grateful if the Minister could meet with me to consider how the paper cup take-back scheme could make the progress expected by the industry.