Shoppers to be paid by supermarkets to return empty bottles and cans to 'end throwaway society'

The initiative is part of Labour's pledge to "end the throwaway society and clean up Britain" through new legislation targeting drinks containers.

The scale of the problem is significant, with households across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland purchasing an estimated 30 billion single-use drinks containers annually.

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Around 6.5 billion of these containers end up as waste rather than being recycled.

The environmental impact is stark, with the Marine Conservation Society reporting that 97 per cent of beaches surveyed last year were polluted with drinks-related litter.

The scheme will cover single-use drinks containers ranging from 150ml to three litres, made from plastic and metal.

Similar initiatives are already operating successfully in more than 50 countries, including Germany, Sweden, and the Republic of Ireland.

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The European schemes have achieved impressive results, with container return rates reaching 90 per cent in participating nations.

While the exact payment amount for returned containers has not yet been confirmed, collection points will be established at major supermarkets across England and Northern Ireland.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said: "This Government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society."

"This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife," she added.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, called the scheme "a silver bullet that will get plastic drinks bottles and aluminium cans out of our parks, off our streets and away from our rivers and seas."

Sandy Luk, Chief Executive at the Marine Conservation Society, welcomed the announcement as "a fantastic win for our seas."

The scheme is expected to save taxpayers millions in clean-up costs while giving recycling "a real shot in the arm," according to Keep Britain Tidy.

Scotland is making progress with its own regulations, while the Welsh Government is exploring an ambitious scheme to include reuse, marking significant progress towards UK-wide implementation by October 2027.

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