Minister for Waste Joan Ruddock has said the government will consider introducing deposit schemes for drinks bottles and cans as part of an initiative to reduce litter.
Her comments come in response to suggestions made last week at the launch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England's (CPRE) Stop the Drop project. Ruddock said: "I have asked officials to look at how we deal with the worst litter offenders, which are bottles and cans. I can see the attraction of take-back schemes."
Writer Bill Bryson, figurehead of the campaign, said: "Deposit laws not only encourage recycling and discourage random discarding, but also give litter a value, which makes it attractive as a revenue source."
Such a scheme would see drinks manufacturers charge retailers an extra 10p on cans and plastic bottles, with the cost passed on to the customer.