Almost nine-in-ten (87%) believe plastic lids are a significant source of environmental pollution and litter, according to a new poll.
A new poll suggests that an ‘overwhelming majority’ of the British public would support the immediate banning of plastic coffee cup lids.
More than seven-in-ten (73%) agree that single-use plastic lids should be banned in the UK and almost nine-in-ten (87%) believe they are a ‘significant’ source of environmental pollution and litter.
The survey of 2,079 UK adults, commissioned by ButterflyCup, comes following last year’s decision by the UK government to ban plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds. It did not ban the use of plastic lids, however.
The Government must listen to the public and curb the use of single-use plastic lids in the same way it has done on similar plastic products like straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates – all of which are being banned
Britons throw away more than 5,000 takeaway coffee cups every minute – this adds up to 2.5 billion each year with only 1 in 400 being recycled, according to a 2017 House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report.
The poll suggests that, at 73%, the number of those wanting to ban single-use lids is approximately the same as those who support a ban on single-use plastic straws (73%) and cutlery (71%). 8% disagree with a ban on plastic lids.
‘Inconsistency’
Sian Sutherland, Co-founder of A Plastic Planet, said: “The UK produces an ocean of single-use plastic lids every year which, even if they make it to a recycling centre, are too small and light to be processed.
“The majority live on for centuries in landfill or as litter, causing untold damage to our environment and marine life. It is time policymakers take seriously the risk they pose to our natural world.”
According to the poll, nearly two thirds (63%) say they would pay more for an environmentally friendly alternative to the plastic lid — a marked increase from a similar poll in 2019 which found only half of consumers would pay more for eco-friendly packaging (YouGov, 2019).
Tommy McLoughlin, Founder and CEO of ButterflyCup, said: “These results have lifted the lid on the coffee cup and lid waste crisis.
“They show that delays in banning single-use plastic lids is not caused by a lack of public support. The Government must listen to the public and curb the use of single-use plastic lids in the same way it has done on similar plastic products like straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates – all of which are being banned.
“It is difficult to understand this glaring inconsistency in the government’s approach.”
ButterflyCup is the all-in-one, plastic free disposable hot and cold drinks cup that eliminates the need for plastic lids and s