A bottle and can deposit scheme in England to help boost recycling and cut down on rubbish is currently being considered by the government. It is expected to cover single-use glass and plastic bottles as well as steel and aluminium cans. Scotland has already announced plans for such a scheme and Welsh ministers have said they are behind it. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland ministers will consider a scheme later this year.

Some 40 countries worldwide already have some kind of deposit return system for plastic bottles.