A new scheme will pay everyone across England a small amount of money for returning glass, metal and plastic drinks bottles to retailers. The Government is currently consulting on how the scheme could work - and it may involve 'reverse vending machines' that pay you for depositing used drinks bottles and cans.
Campaigners have been trying to get a national scheme for returning drinks bottles in place for 10 years. Similar schemes operate in 38 countries, reported The Guardian.
After the bottles are returned to a store, retailers are responsible for ensuring they are recycled. Currently, just 43% of drinks bottles in the UK are recycled.
In countries with deposit return schemes that is more than 90%. Environment secretary Michael Gove said: “It is absolutely vital we act now to tackle this threat and curb the millions of plastic bottles a day that go unrecycled.”
