The Scottish government’s decision to postpone plans to introduce the “latte levy” – a minimum 25p charge on disposable drinks cups – has been welcomed by the Fed.

The Fed had previously warned that the charge would place an unfair burden on businesses and would fail to achieve the government’s environmental aims of reducing cup waste.

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When the move was first proposed, Mo Razzaq, the Fed’s national president who also runs Premier Mo’s in Blantyre, said it would give retailers no incentive to use cups made from recycled materials. He added that it could drive coffee drinkers towards larger outlets that could better absorb the tax than smaller retailers.

Responding after the Scottish government announced it would not be introducing the single-use cup charge in 2025, Razzaq said: “We are pleased that the government is acting on Fed members’ concerns. We agree that action is needed to better protect our environment but this ‘latte levy’ is not the right way to go about it.

“Instead of adding at least 25p to the cost of disposable hot and cold drinks cups, Fed members believe that litter louts should be given heftier fines of £500 or £1,000 and community service picking up litter.”

Scottish retailers push back against cup levy