‘It’s a good idea, but an outright ban would be even better’
PLASTICS are a wonderful thing. Water-resistant, durable, cheap, resistant to corrosion, light and easy to handle, it’s little wonder they’re such a part of our lives.
Used to store food and drink, utilised in plumbing systems and the construction industry, as packaging, and in kitchen appliances, it’s hard to imagine life without plastic.
But they have a major failing. They’re manufactured from crude oil, and not all are biodegradable, meaning they break down over hundreds of years, and cause widespread environmental contamination.
Plastics pollution is a major problem in our oceans. Last September, the Irish
Independent and Orb Media also revealed that families were routinely ingesting plastic through drinking water from their kitchen taps.
Clearly, these are not good things, and any efforts to limit unnecessary plastic use should be encouraged.
Disposable coffee cups are an unnecessary use. It wasn’t that long ago when the thoughts of taking away a cup of tea or coffee would be greeted with a raised eyebrow, but it’s now commonplace to see people drinking from a plastic cup.
But why not stop and smell the coffee, sit down in a café, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy a beverage at leisure, instead of battling crowds? If you insist of taking it away, why not consider a reusable cup?
The Government is planning to ban microbeads found in cosmetics and cleaning products, and this plan for disposable coffee cups will also help tackle the problem. Retailers can help. One coffee chain has agreed to give 20 cent per transaction to an environmental group, if the customer produces a reusable cup. Maynooth University requires that all disposable cups are compostable. Could all coffee chains not be encouraged or compelled to follow these examples?
The plastic bag tax has been an enormous success, because the levy was steep enough to encourage a change in behaviour. While Climate Change and Environment Minister Denis Naughten’s plan is a good idea, there is one flaw. If a cup of coffee costs €2.50, a levy of 1015 cents per cup is hardly going to convince people to give up their takeaway beverage. Would an outright ban not be better?