Climate change, rising temperatures, and increasing pollution have led people to reduce the production of artificial plastics that harm the planet. Plastic, one of the most harmful materials, takes a long time to decompose, ranging from 100 to even 1,000 years. As a result, governments in various countries are taking steps to reduce the use of plastic as much as possible. This requires changes in our daily lives.

Poland is a proud member of the European Union, which means several directives adopted in Brussels must be incorporated into our laws. One directive concerns entrepreneurs who are required to change their marketing of single-use plastic products. For instance, ice cream parlours have decided to introduce an additional charge when someone requests a dessert in a plastic cup.

The extra cost for ice cream served in a disposable cup will also apply to containers that may initially appear to be paper but are, in fact, non-recyclable due to a layer of wax or plastic covering them. As a result, if someone wants to enjoy their dessert in such packaging, they should expect to pay a little more.

The cost of plastic cups is not predetermined, and it varies depending on where you purchase them. For instance, according to Gazeta Wyborcza, in the commonly-known chain of Polish Lody in Wrocław, an extra charge of 30 groszy applies for a cup, while in the Słodka Przystań ice-cream parlour in Port Popowice, the cost for a cup is an additional 50 groszy. Meanwhile, in all the ice cream parlours under the Grycan chain, cups cost an extra 25 groszy, while any other packaging incurs a cost of 31 groszy.

It is important for customers to know that there is an additional fee for using a disposable cup. This fee is typically displayed near the cash register for easy visibility. While this extra charge is not yet universal, business owners who only operate during the summer months are considering their options regarding the new regulations. Some are opting for environmentally friendly packaging as a solution.

"We plan to start the season at the beginning of April. We are in talks with a packaging supplier about the possibility of using fully recyclable cups, which would not be subject to an additional charge," Paweł Jakubowski of the popular Cybulski 10 ice cream parlour in Wrocław told Gazeta Wyborcza.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza