The cost of a freddo espresso in Greece has gone up by 11 cents following the introduction of a new levy aimed at curtailing the use of plastic cups and containers for takeout.
The Greek government announced a new levy that will add a 0.05 euro fee to plastic cups and other disposable food and drink containers as part of a crackdown on excessive use.
Cups and lids will be charged separately, as the government calculates the fee per piece of plastic. This raises the cost of a cup of coffee by 0.10 euros, or $0.11 USD.
Cups, containers, boxes and other to-go products made of plastic or laminated paper are all being targeted by the new measure.
The new levy follows a previous one introduced in 2018 for plastic shopping bags, which led to a sharp decline in their use in supermarkets.
Featured image courtesy of Tamara Bellis on Unsplash
