Coffee cup charge: Why you should reduce the number of paper mugs you use

'Reusable cups are cost effective and keep the coffee warm if you don’t want to drink it immediately'

Teacher Helen Scott has been using a reusable mug for more than five years in an effort to reduce plastic waste.

The 28-year-old, originally from Sheffield but now living in London, said using her own travel mug made sense both environmentally and economically.

“There is a big outlay on unnecessary coffee cups for people on the go,” she said.

The UK throws away 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year.

Almost all of them are incinerated, exported or sent to landfill because their plastic lining makes them costly to recycle.

She added: “I always take a small thermos flask with me when I am travelling, it is cost effective and also keeps the drink warm if you don’t want to drink it immediately."

Ms Scott, who is head of chemistry at the William Perkin CofE High School in Greenford, said any campaign to reduce plastic waste should also focus on disposable lids.

“One of the major problems with takeaway plastic cups is the lids – they are plastic when they could be biodegradable.

“Three times over the Christmas break I was told I couldn’t use my own reusable cup at a high street coffee shop because I didn’t have a lid for it, and without one I was breaking health and safety rules.

“I am thinking of buying my own lid that I can use. I also carry bamboo cutlery in my bag to avoid using plastic knives and forks.”