The Scottish Government said it wants to lead the way in tackling waste being unnecessarily sent to landfill
The Scottish Government has announced it will ban single-use coffee cups from its buildings.
The move could prevent up to 450,000 cups being thrown away every year.
From 4 June, hot drinks will only be served in reusable mugs in the government’s main buildings – including St Andrew’s House and Atlantic Quay.
Staff were informed of the changes and the alternatives from the beginning of May to give them time to prepare.
Environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: "The Scottish Government is determined to lead by example when it comes to tackling the scourge of plastic littering our countryside and polluting our seas.
"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.”
Earlier this year, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) proposed that a latte levy could be added to the sale of single use cups – which often cannot be recycled – and then donated to good causes.
CAF estimates that a proposed levy on single-use plastic items could generate at least £1.75 million a day for good causes in the UK if levels of use did not change.
The ban has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth Scotland, who have said it acts as a symbolic step.
"Like the proposed ban on plastic cotton bud sticks this sends out a really positive message about the need to tackle the growing tide of plastic pollution," said the charity's Mary Church.
"However, the scale of the task ahead to truly address the root causes of plastic pollution and stop adding to the mountains of waste in our environment is very large indeed. Plastics, and single use plastics, have become part of everyday life and it can be really difficult to avoid using them. Plastics pollution is all too often simply one end of a long, environmentally damaging journey from resource extraction to litter on our beaches. The plastics crisis is linked to the climate crisis, with most plastics manufactured from fossil fuel feedstocks."
