RECYCLING & DISPOSABLES


Vending has a voice in the plastics debate


© Post Photographic


The climate crisis and society’s demand to embrace sustainable practices mean plastics and recycling sit high on the legislative agenda, but the impact on vending could be significant.


Among the proposals currently working their way through an intensive consultation is the suggested 20 to 25p cup levy in Scotland, Ireland and soon to be Wales. The Scottish Expert Panel on Environmental Charging & Other


Measures (EPECOM) has recommended the levy on every single-use disposable beverage cup. This would apply initially to cups made from cardboard lined with plastic, which would currently include vending cups. However, the Automatic Vending Association (AVA), which is


keeping tabs on all the key proposals in order to make vending’s voice heard, believes the impact of such a levy on vending would be harsh and have “an inequitable impact” on the industry compared to high street coffee chains. This is because the average


David Llewellyn


retail price of a vended cup of coffee stands at just 27p with 40% of hot beverages ‘free vend’ where the machines have no means of collecting cash at the point of sale. AVA chief executive David


Llewellyn explains that adding 20p to a high street chain cup of coffee which costs £3, would not make much difference, but to add that to a vended cup would make a significant difference. In its response to proposals,


the AVA has warned that the net effect of a levy would reduce sales and for some retailers even a small decline in sales would impact their viability. It says: “We are deeply concerned that any potential single use


cup levy would be extremely detrimental to the vending industry, which is notably distinct from other retail channels. Any cup charge would have a significant negative impact on machine throughput, profitability and thus viability of the whole industry.” Mr Llewellyn notes: “For many SMEs the strength of their business


is coffee. Everything sits around that. If the sale of coffee is undermined, it could affect thousands of people employed by our members, not to mention all those employed by support services.” The AVA has put on record its full support for appropriate


measures to reduce the negative impact on the environment that discarded plastic waste can bring and has welcomed objectives of promoting the transition to a circular economy. Mr Lewellyn adds that AVA members a fully aware that “they


cannot operate in the same way they always have and in fact we have many operators and suppliers who are already looking ahead to see how they can turn the current situation into a benefit”. The AVA contends that a levy on cups is not required to meet the


circular economy objectives, neither will it reduce littering and points to the progress made over the last four years in collecting and recycling used coffee cups to the point where the capacity now exists to recycle over 100% of paper cups used. The association has further stressed that it is important to note


that the majority of vending machines are placed in sites where product will be consumed within the same premises as the machine


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