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A deposit return scheme aimed at slashing plastic pollution came a significant step closer on Monday with environment secretary Michael Gove saying he will work with the industry to see how a scheme can be implemented in England.

Gove announced a four-week call for views to inform how a deposit return scheme (DRS) would be designed. The government’s working group on the issue will also consider DRS for metal and glass containers.

Over eight million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year, with 80% coming from land. Plastic bottles are a major contributor with a million made every minute and the rate rising quickly. At least a dozen nations already have DRS, in which a small deposit is paid when purchasing the bottle which is then returned when the empty bottle is brought back.

In Germany and Denmark, which have DRSs, over 90% of bottles are returned. In England, just 57% of plastic bottles are recycled, mostly through streetside collection schemes. Gove was pressured this summer by opposition parties and NGOs to introduce an DRS in England, and Nicola Sturgeon announced in September that Scotland would introduce a DRS.