NSW cafes can breathe a sigh of relief after the state government backflipped on controversial reusable coffee cup rules following backlash from small businesses.
Cafes will not have to serve coffee to customers in a mug or glass from 2028 as announced last week.
They will still be able to serve hot drinks to dine-in customers in recyclable disposable cups. The changes to NSW legislation are aimed at reducing plastic waste.
Announcing the backdown on Wednesday morning, NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the government had listened to small businesses’ concerns about the proposed reusable cup rules.
“We’ve listened to the concerns raised by small businesses about reusable coffee cup reforms, and we’re making changes to give them certainty and confidence,” she said on 2GB radio on Wednesday morning.
Why the government backed down on coffee cup rules
Sharpe confirmed that cafes will not be required to offer a mug or glass to dine-in customers, with legislation designed to give customers the option of a mug or glass when enjoying a coffee in a cafe, rather than only being offered a disposable takeaway cup.
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NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe has backed down on controversial reusable coffee cup rules following a backlash from small businesses. Source: Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
(Brook Mitchell via Getty Images)“But we’ve heard the concerns from small businesses, and we won’t be requiring cafes to purchase any additional cups or change the way they operate,” she said.
Sharpe’s backdown comes after Premier Chris Minns was forced to admit that the policy had been badly communicated and created confusion in the industry.
The proposed rules had threatened maximum penalties of $110,000 for companies that failed to offer reusable cups through a mandatory reuse scheme, and $22,000 for individual operators.
An estimated 800 million single-use coffee cups are used in NSW each year. Source: Getty Images
What the changes mean for disposable coffee cups
What will remain under the laws is a range of products slated for phased-out over the next few years, including non-recyclable disposable coffee cups and those containing harmful chemicals.
Cafes can still serve a recyclable disposable cup, but will need to ensure that all single-use cups are more environmentally friendly within two years.
“The Bill doesn’t ban single-use coffee cups. It says by 2028 they must be recyclable for your yellow bin,” Sharpe added.
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How confusion over the proposed ban began
Rumours were spread last week that authorities were set to ban disposable coffee cups across NSW, but the claims have now been dismissed, and major changes are on the way.
It’s thought the rumours were sparked by a misunderstanding of the Minns Labor Government Plastics 2.0 reforms, which are set to be introduced into the Upper House.
The push to reduce disposable coffee cup waste comes amid debate over why customers choose takeaway cups even when dining in.
Most coffee cups are typically thrown away within minutes after consumption. Source: Getty Images
(dpa/picture alliance via Getty I)The environmental cost of disposable coffee cups
Environmental entrepreneur James Atkins previously told Yahoo News Australia he was struck by the sight of customers drinking from disposable cups while sitting inside a London cafe.
“When I saw loads of people sitting down to drink coffee out of takeaway cups, I thought that doesn’t make sense,” he said.
NSW generated about 891,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2022-23, equivalent to almost 110kg per person, with just 14 per cent recycled.
An estimated 800 million single-use cups are used across the state each year, most of which are discarded within minutes.
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