LONDON: UK’s ministers are considering plans for a plastic bottle charge as part of a crackdown on waste clogging up landfill sites and entering the sea.
According to details, customers could be forced to pay an extra 10p or 20p for every plastic bottle or container they buy, which they would be able to reclaim if they return it as part of a deposit return scheme.
The idea has already been trialed in Scotland, which led the way with the 5p plastic bag tax, and ministers are understood to be evaluating the results of a number of pilots to see if similar projects could work in England. Such schemes are already popular in Europe, America and Canada.
Environment minister Therese Coffey said the Government is developing a new litter strategy which could address the issue of one-use plastic bottles which are not recycled at home.
A Government source ruled out a flat tax on plastic bottles similar to the charge for bags, but confirmed that ministers are looking closely at the Scottish scheme as part of a consultation.
It is understood that there are concerns about the amount of money it could cost to set up the deposit return system in the UK and about whether consumers would embrace the idea.
