Seven years ago, I put forward a proposal at the SNP conference for the Scottish Government to introduce a 5p charge on disposable coffee cups to try to reduce single-use waste in Scotland.

At that time, data from Zero Waste Scotland indicated that Scots threw away 208 million coffee cups per year. Latest estimates suggest this is now up at more than 388 million annually.

I based my policy idea off the success of the carrier bag charge, which was introduced in 2014 and saw the use of single-use plastic carrier bags in Scotland fall by 80 per cent in its first year.

Legislation like the carrier bag charge was helping us to move in the right direction in terms of single-use items. However, once COVID-19 hit, that progress was halted – as single-use items were better for preventing the spread of the virus.

In general, the pandemic saw a greater reliance on single-use items across the board and we have struggled as a society to get back to reusable alternatives. The fact there are litter picking groups across Inverclyde highlights there are still some people in our community who don’t think litter bins or recycling are for them.

I’m therefore pleased that the Scottish Government has launched a consultation on the possible introduction of a 25p charge on all single-use drinks cups when a drink is bought, regardless of material.

Exemptions to this charge would apply for specific locations and uses, such as in schools, and free drinks in hospital or care settings.

The success of the single-use carrier bag charge shows how an environmental charge can be an effective tool to change people’s behaviour and encourage responsible consumption.

I urge everyone to have their say and engage with the consultation so we can choose the most sustainable option for both people and businesses while helping to tackle litter, reduce waste and cut emissions.