COLUMNIST: Path paved for disposable cup charges, as government chases holy grail of net-zero targets

As evidence for climate change grows, so governments are naturally introducing measures to reduce individual and collective carbon footprints and ensure that we meet net zero targets. And right now, the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill is at Stage 2 – the time when amendments are considered and decided by a committee.

As things stand, the Bill requires businesses to control waste much more vigorously than ever before, which is clearly good in principle. However, it’s how it’s done that matters: how it affects their daily operations. To be effective the Act must be well-designed following proper consultation with those affected.

Sadly, however, while 98% of businesses in Scotland are defined as ‘small’, their views have not been sought in the Business & Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA). Similarly, the draft route map hardly mentions small businesses and, while funding for Local Authorities is mentioned, there appears to be little or no help for small businesses transitioning.

The Bill requires the mandatory public reporting of waste (and surpluses) – food only initially – which means that those in catering and food-related activities in hospitality or retail must report where their waste occurs and where it goes. It also paves the way for charges on single-use items, dubbed the “latte levy” because disposable cups are first on the list. Fine, but government must ensure that businesses have ready access to alternatives at comparable prices.

Smaller businesses understand the need to reduce carbon emissions to protect our planet. However, proposals must work in the real-world, which means both listening to small businesses and testing proposals on them before they go live. We strongly encourage the Scottish Government to run a pilot for smaller businesses to test plans before implementation, establishing what additional costs they will face (data collection, reporting tools, staff training etc), whether they are proportionate, and whether can they be reduced.

With one in ten small Highland business owners already spend more than eight hours each week – a full working day – on regulatory compliance. Adding yet more red tape to this administrative burden must be done sparingly, especially when so many are short-staffed.

David Richardson is Highland development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses.

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