Iceland has introduced a reverse vending machine, which will reward customers with a 10p voucher for every plastic bottle brought into the store.
The machine is being trialled in the Fulham branch of Iceland for an initial period of six months.
It comes after the Government announced plans for a bottle deposit scheme, forcing consumers to pay an upfront deposit each time they purchase a drink in a container.
The new machine only accepts bottles bought from Iceland - it works this out by scanning the barcode.
Reverse vending machines reward individuals for recycling, by providing money or vouchers in return for empty containers.
The trial will provide insights that will allow the supermarket to "maximise the positive environmental impact of the national intiative", a spokesman said in a statement.
Iceland Managing Director, Richard Walker said: “We’re the first supermarket to take decisive action to bring the reverse vending machine into stores, following the announcement of the government’s support for a deposit return scheme in England.
“We’re doing it properly, through consultation with suppliers and by gaining understanding of how customers will act in response to the machine. “
According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, the amount of plastic in the world’s oceans could weigh more than the entire fish population by 2050.
Less than half of plastic bottles used in the UK are recycled after use.
In response to Iceland’s move, Michael Gove said: “I applaud Iceland for leading the way with their trial scheme. It is absolutely vital we act now to curb the millions of plastic bottles a day that go unrecycled. Support from businesses will be a vital part of ensuring we leave our environment in a better state than we found it.”
