A BEVVY levy will hit drinkers and diners in the pocket when it comes in next month.
The packaging tax could add £1 to a pack of 12 beers as pubs, brewers and supermarkets pass on added costs to customers.
The new tax, the so-called extended producer responsibility, will charge retailers or producers per tonne of packaging that they use.
The idea is that businesses pay the recycling costs, rather than councils.
Glass and aluminium are more environmentally friendly than plastic but could end up costing businesses even more — and that will be passed on to households.
Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show the tax on packaging will add 5p to every 330ml bottle of beer and 7p on a 500ml bottle of ale.
A pack of 12 bottles will go up by 84p.
The BBPA’s Emma McClarkin said: “These new fees could push up the price of iconic British beers which will be a massive blow to brewers, pubs, and punters.
“UK brewers make an average of just 2p profit per bottle of beer, so they’ll have no choice but to pass on extra painful costs to the consumer or possibly end up being forced to leave the market entirely.”
The BBPA also warned that the tax would mean pubs pay twice to dispose of bottles.
[authenticated-scripts src=”%3Cscript%20class%3D%22palin-poll%22%20src%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fpollingwidgets%2Fv3%2Fwidget.js%3Fquestion_id%3D109091%26game%3Dpolling%22%3E%3C%2Fscript%3E” type=”embedded” width=”100″ /]They will be classed as household waste, despite pubs already being charged for recycling under commercial waste.
The move could cost the sector over £155 million.
A Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson said: “We are committed to cracking down on waste and boosting recycling.
“Extended producer responsibility for packaging is a vital first step for our packaging reforms. Together our reforms will create 21,000 jobs and help stimulate more than £10 billion investment in recycling over the next decade. It means taxpayers won’t foot the bill for managing waste.
“We continue to work closely with businesses on this programme.”
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