Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much extra (1) plastic, (2) paper, and (3) other materials, they expect to be generated following the decision not to introduce a mandatory take-back scheme for single-use cups under the extended producer responsibility framework; and, as a result of that decision, how much extra plastic and other waste they expect to end up as environmental pollutants.

This Government does not expect there to be any significant change in the quantity of plastic, paper, or other materials generated, because of not introducing the mandatory take-back scheme for single-use cups. The scheme was expected to have a limited impact on environmental objectives, and in terms of environmental pollutants it was estimated to reduce littering of single-use cups by 2 percentage points in 10 years.

The UK Government has committed to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy. We will consider the evidence for action right across the economy and evaluate what further interventions may be needed as we develop the Circular Economy Strategy for England, working closely with the Devolved Governments.