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The plastic surcharge in the office, this is what it means.
Every day, some 19 million single-use containers are thrown away in the Netherlands. A worrying number that shows how dependent we have become on disposable plastic. Fortunately, there is growing awareness that this is no longer sustainable, and that we must take action to reduce our impact on the environment. One of the recent measures responding to this is the introduction of the plastic surcharge, which has been in place for takeaway and delivery meals since July 1, 2023, and has also applied to on-site consumption since January 1, 2024.
What is the plastic surcharge?
The plastic surcharge is an additional fee charged for single-use containers, such as cups and trays, used for food and beverages. This surcharge ranges from 25 cents for a cup to 50 cents for a container. The purpose of this surcharge is twofold: first, to discourage the use of disposable plastic and second, to cover the costs associated with cleaning up plastic waste and promoting more sustainable alternatives.
Application to offices and company restaurants
The plastic surcharge is not limited to the hospitality industry, but also applies to office company restaurants. This means that offices that have a company restaurant can no longer offer their single-use containers free of charge to their employees. The surcharge must be listed separately on the receipt and paid separately by the consumer or employee.
To comply with the plastic surcharge, companies can take several measures:
- Offer reusable alternatives. Encourage the use of reusable cups, trays and cutlery in your company restaurant or coffee corner. This not only reduces the impact of the surcharge, but also the total amount of disposable plastic used. It might be a nice idea to give your employees a personalized reusable bottle as a gift with their name and your company's logo.
- Have your employees bring their own reusable bottle or coffee mug to the office.
- If this is not an option, you must list the surcharge separately on the receipt. Specific amounts can always be found on the Chamber of Commerce website, but here is already a guideline.
- 50 cents for food packaging
- 25 cents for cups
- 0.05 cents for prepackaged vegetables
Exactly what type of packaging does this apply to?
First and foremost, it should be about packaging where the food is consumed without any further preparation. So this applies to meal salads, but not microwaveable meals. This also does not include bags and wrappers for sandwiches. When we look at beverage containers, we are talking about all the packaging you would use once. So your plastic-coated paper coffee cup is also included here.
Does it all still seem a bit complicated to you? We understand! Feel free to fill in the KvK's regulation aid, then you will know exactly what your situation falls under.
Every day, some 19 million single-use containers are thrown away in the Netherlands. A worrying number that shows how dependent we have become on disposable plastic. Fortunately, there is growing awareness that this is no longer sustainable, and that we must take action to reduce our impact on the environment. One of the recent measures responding to this is the introduction of the plastic surcharge, which has been in place for takeaway and delivery meals since July 1, 2023, and has also applied to on-site consumption since January 1, 2024.
What is the plastic surcharge?
The plastic surcharge is an additional fee charged for single-use containers, such as cups and trays, used for food and beverages. This surcharge ranges from 25 cents for a cup to 50 cents for a container. The purpose of this surcharge is twofold: first, to discourage the use of disposable plastic and second, to cover the costs associated with cleaning up plastic waste and promoting more sustainable alternatives.
Application to offices and company restaurants
The plastic surcharge is not limited to the hospitality industry, but also applies to office company restaurants. This means that offices that have a company restaurant can no longer offer their single-use containers free of charge to their employees. The surcharge must be listed separately on the receipt and paid separately by the consumer or employee.
To comply with the plastic surcharge, companies can take several measures:
- Offer reusable alternatives. Encourage the use of reusable cups, trays and cutlery in your company restaurant or coffee corner. This not only reduces the impact of the surcharge, but also the total amount of disposable plastic used. It might be a nice idea to give your employees a personalized reusable bottle as a gift with their name and your company's logo.
- Have your employees bring their own reusable bottle or coffee mug to the office.
- If this is not an option, you must list the surcharge separately on the receipt. Specific amounts can always be found on the Chamber of Commerce website, but here is already a guideline.
- 50 cents for food packaging
- 25 cents for cups
- 0.05 cents for prepackaged vegetables
Exactly what type of packaging does this apply to?
First and foremost, it should be about packaging where the food is consumed without any further preparation. So this applies to meal salads, but not microwaveable meals. This also does not include bags and wrappers for sandwiches. When we look at beverage containers, we are talking about all the packaging you would use once. So your plastic-coated paper coffee cup is also included here.
Does it all still seem a bit complicated to you? We understand! Feel free to fill in the KvK's regulation aid, then you will know exactly what your situation falls under.
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