The Environment Secretary has unveiled the latest proposals for the deposit return scheme and packaging reforms which will boost recycling, but have been delayed.

In a second phase of consultation, the UK Government gave details about the forthcoming Environment Bill, which is to introduce a scheme so consumers will be incentivised to take their empty drinks containers to return points hosted by retailers.

Every year across the UK, consumers go through an estimated 14 billion plastic drinks bottles, nine billion drinks cans and five billion glass bottles. The scheme would cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a separate scheme already under development in Scotland.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, where manufacturers will pay the full costs of managing and recycling their packaging waste, with higher fees being levied if packaging is harder to reuse or recycle.

In 2019, approximately 11.7 million tonnes of packaging was placed on the UK market. But in an announcement (on March 24) it was revealed the deposit return scheme will not be in place until the end of 2024.

The government said that a return scheme is "a complicated proposal, and it's imperative that we conduct the necessary consultation with stakeholders to get it right and that we ensure there is sufficient time for a successful roll-out of the scheme. "

Sam Chetan-Welsh, political campaigner at Greenpeace said:

"Taking more than seven years to introduce a bottle return scheme, when other countries have had them for decades, is embarrassing. This is not the action of a government that is serious about tackling plastic pollution, and is nowhere near world-leading. Further delay means billions more plastic and glass bottles and cans will be dumped or burned. This is asking our rivers, oceans and wildlife for an extension they can't afford to give."

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: " Tackling plastic pollution lies at the heart of our efforts, and we have already taken steps to ban microbeads, cut supermarket sales of single-use plastic bags by 95% and prohibit the supply of plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds.

"These new changes will further ensure that more of what we consume is recycled and reused. They will stimulate the creation of alternatives to single-use plastics and establish consistent rules to help people recycle more easily across the country.

"By 2042, we want to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste as per our commitment in the 25 Year Environment Plan, as well as avoidable waste of all kinds by 2050."