Coffee in disposable cups will cost an extra 25 cents as standard

• Blackbird Stikkelorum

  Domestic Editor

Collecting food and drinks in disposable plastic packaging will cost an additional 25 cents as standard. State Secretary Chris Jansen of the Environment decided this after an evaluation of the rules surrounding single-use plastics. The rules for collecting food and drinks must be more effective and clearer.

Since July 1 last year, a surcharge has to be paid for disposable packaging containing plastic for collection and delivery. Until now, catering companies have been allowed to decide for themselves how high the surcharge they charge. But that will change from 2026 to a fixed amount of 25 cents per cup and 25 cents per meal.

State Secretary Jansen wants to make the rules clearer for entrepreneurs and consumers. It still often happens that entrepreneurs charge a symbolic amount of 1 cent per container or cup. That will no longer be allowed in a year’s time. The State Secretary hopes that a fixed price will make people choose reusable packaging more often.

Furthermore, surcharges for home delivery and products pre-packed in plastic in the supermarket, such as meal salads, will be scrapped, because reusable packaging is not an alternative for this. In practice, supermarkets already charge a symbolic amount of 1 euro cent for this.

Moreover, the enforcement of the so-called ‘plastic tax’ by the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate has been temporarily stopped after the SP submitted a motion against this surcharge.

The rules for eating and drinking on site, for example in offices, restaurants and educational institutions, are more successful, according to the State Secretary. Reusable cups and tableware are the norm there. The exception that is currently possible for a high collection and recycling percentage will be deleted. Only events can still rely on this.

The rules arise from the European Single Use Plastic Directive. The aim is to reduce the enormous amount of plastic in litter by encouraging the use of reusable packaging.

Every day we throw away 19 million plastic cups and food packaging in the Netherlands. By 2026, this should be 40 percent less compared to 2022. According to Jansen, it appears that this target will be achieved.