Disposable Coffee Cups Are Now Banned in Scotland's Government Buildings

Scottish legislators used to drinking from paper coffee cups will have to tweak their morning routine, thanks to a new rule passed by the government. As Resource reports, single-use coffee containers are officially banned from Scotland's main government buildings.

Instead of handing out hot drinks in disposable to-go cups, the cafes in Scottish parliament offices will now serve coffee in reusable ceramic mugs. Government officials will also have the option to bring their own travel mugs from home.

The Scottish government says it won't take long for the new rule to make a difference. Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said in a statement, "By removing single-use coffee cups from our main buildings, we will prevent 450,000 cups from being thrown away every year. That's enough cups to cover the distance between Edinburgh and Dundee."

The change comes after the European Union announced plans to phase out the single-use plastic products most likely to show up on beaches. The EU cited plastic food containers and drink cups as some of the worst offenders, and called on member states to give consumers the option to use alternative products like reusable cups, or to charge them extra for choosing disposable.

While monitoring the success of the coffee cup ban, the Scottish government will be looking into getting rid of even more single-use materials by the end of the year.