After months of pressure from the NSW Liberals and small businesses across the state, the Minns Labor Government has announced plans to scrap its unworkable coffee cup mandate.
Under Labor’s proposed Environmental Legislation Amendment (Plastic Reduction and Container Recycling) Bill 2026, cafes would be forced to buy, store, clean and manage reusable takeaway cups. Cafes that failed to offer a reusable cup would face fines of up to $22,000.
Shadow Minister for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said Labor’s bill had been rushed without any consultation or thought for small businesses doing it tough.
“Businesses are already struggling, with 6,200 closing their doors in NSW last financial year, and up until last week, the Minns Labor Government was determined to add your local coffee shop to that list,” said Mr Crouch
“Under Labor’s laws, small businesses that sold takeaway beverages would face more red tape and massive fines simply for not offering a reusable cup, which they would need to buy, store, clean and manage at their own expense.”
“This added cost would have been on top of increased energy costs, skyrocketing rental costs and rising interest rates and would have sent our local coffee shops over the edge.”
Mr Crouch said that the Minns Labor Government and the Central Coast Labor MPs had failed to listen to repeated calls to rework the legislation and protect small businesses.
“The local Labor MPs had every opportunity to stand up for our local cafes and stop these ridiculous changes but instead they backed an unworkable scheme that hit small businesses with more costs and red tape,” Mr Crouch said.
“Small businesses like cafes play a huge part in our region’s economy and the people running them often work long hours and invest huge amounts of their own money to keep their doors open.”
“They deserve a government that listens to them and speaks with them before it makes changes that will push them into the red.”