Sir Richard Branson has told Sky News he finds it "astonishing" that President Donald Trump wants to roll back measures to protect the environment which were brought in by his predecessors.

The billionaire and green ambassador was talking to Dermot Murnaghan as part of Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign to reduce plastic waste.

Sir Richard said, in the absence of leadership from the White House on the threats of pollution and climate change, "business leaders are going to have to step in and work with the public in doing what we believe to be right".

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He also backed Sky's campaign to introduce a deposit scheme for single use plastic bottles, which is fiercely resisted by the soft drinks industry.


Image: The campaign is aimed at tackling the overwhelming amount of plastic pollution in seas

The Government has trialled such a scheme in Scotland and is now mulling a national roll-out as part of its consultation into extending a ban on microbeads.

The Virgin founder said: "It's not just the people who use the bottles who will take them back: if someone is foolish enough to leave a plastic bottle lying around, kids will make some money on the side from it.

"So I think it is a fantastic idea and one that should be encouraged."

How plastics are destroying the environment and human health

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom has also backed the Sky campaign, and said the Government's consultation will look not just at banning microbeads in household products but reducing other plastic waste.

She told Sky News: "My personal commitment and this Government's commitment is to be the first generation that leaves our environment in a better place than we found it so that absolutely includes looking more at what else we can do."

Sky Ocean Rescue's first day around the world

When asked why the UK's recycling rate lags behind Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany she said: "Coming from a low start we've massively increased the amount of household recycling, waste reduction, the amounts going to landfill and so on."

Committing to a new long term litter strategy to make dropping rubbish "as socially unacceptable as drink driving," she told Sky News: "Of course there's a lot more we can do, and our ambition is high and the action we are taking is very strong."

Why should you take part in our Ocean Rescue campaign?

But Labour's shadow environment secretary Rachael Maskell said the Conservatives cannot be trusted on the environment.

She said: "We saw the scrapping of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, where we have seen (the issue) moved off the agenda.

"A promised 25 year plan hasn't emerged, and we were then promised a five-year framework by the end of last year. Again: no sign of it."

Sky Ocean Rescue: Time to help save our seas

However, some British environmentalists are encouraged by Theresa May's recent support for Government action to affect behaviour.

The 5p plastic bag tax produced an 85% drop in their use and there is hope among green groups that the consultation and litter strategy will promote state intervention.

Prince Charles on the plastic waste in our oceans

But the UK is struggling to meet an EU recycling target of 50% of household waste by 2020. Currently the country ranks about 10th out of 28 member states.

:: You can find out more about Sky Ocean Rescue and get involved by visiting the campaign's website.

To discover the scale of the damage caused by plastic disposed in oceans, watch A Plastic Tide on Sky News at 8pm on Wednesday.