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Proposals by town hall leaders to charge households for waste that goes to landfill could increase pressure on retailers to use recyclable packs.

The proposals came in a report last month from the Local Government Association (LGA), the body that represents 400 councils in England and Wales, as it stepped up its lobbying efforts on the government’s waste strategy, which is expected to be published within months.

It found that UK households send around 27 million tonnes of rubbish to landfill every year, which is seven million tonnes more than any other European country. Councils face fines of up to £150 per metric ton of landfill waste.

Launching its War on Waste campaign, the LGA warned that manufacturers, businesses, retailers and householders could face higher costs unless they increased their recycling rates.

Paul Bettison, chair of the LGA environment board, said the government should introduce a ‘save-as-you-throw’ scheme to encourage people to take more responsibility for the rubbish they throw away.