Bottle deposit charges and cash in exchange for the return of used bottles and cans are being considered by Joan Ruddock, the Minister for Waste.

She has ordered a feasibility study after the call in The Times by Bill Bryson, president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), for a national offensive to clear the highways and byways of litter blight.

He suggested redeemable deposits on every drink container sold because it gave litter a value and encouraged groups such as Scouts, the homeless, churches and others to use empties to raise funds. When deposits were introduced in Iowa 20 years ago litter was reduced by 70 per cent because people picked litter up in exchange for cash.

Ms Ruddock said: “I have asked officials to look at novel ways on how we deal with the worst litter offenders, which are bottles and cans. It may be possible to devise a scheme where people deposit used bottles and cans and get a reward. I can see the attraction of take-back schemes with a reward.”

She was particularly keen to explore possible use of vending machines to take back empties, she said. Leading manufacturers and vending machine operators are to be consulted about such a plan.

Ms Ruddock said: “If only we could find a way of capturing the cans of those who drink in the street so they are not thrown on the street. If people consume on the street they are extremely unlikely to take empties home. We need to find more novel and creative ways instead of ending up with overflowing bins.”

She is particularly keen to develop a return scheme for soft drinks cans because the aluminium is expensive and can be used extensively in recycling.

She admitted there was much work to do to formulate new policies but she confirmed: “I am happy to look again at this issue. There was some work done a few years ago on deposit schemes but they were not seen as effective in encouraging recycling. But dealing with litter is different.”

The CPRE’s Stop the Drop campaign begins formally today. Hundreds of people have already pledged to help to clean up their community and nominations are being invited to identify “grot spots” nationwide.

Bryson makes clear in The Times today that he does not expect people to challenge litter louts directly and risk abuse or injury.

His call to action is not about vigilantism, though he admitted that he had a confrontation recently with a young man who had thrown the left-overs of his fish and chip supper near Victoria station in London.

He said: “Son, you know you live in a really beautiful country, you ought to love it . . . I thought ‘He’s going to deck me’.”

But the lout agreed, admitted he was drunk and picked up the wrappers. In other cases Bryson has been wary. He said: “I haven't said anything to them because they do it in such a conspicuous way they’re making a statement and it’s not worth getting knifed or punched in the face.”

He is also not banking on signing up the National Trust to his crusade after disclosing details of a recent run-in with the country's biggest landowner.

He is horrified about the amount of litter blighting the Trust’s Dovedale estate in the south Peak District and at a Trust car park along the South Downs Way.

He has already written to ask the Trust to install litter bins at Dovedale but his request was refused.

Bryson said: “It feels that litter bins attract more litter, and it feels that by not having litter bins there it is encouraging people to take litter away with them.

“My argument is that by not having litter bins there it is encouraging people to drop litter. And I do genuinely feel that the impression that bodies such as the National Trust give, in a situation like that, is that they are completely indifferent to litter.”

He is scathing about the Trust and accuses it of being in a state of denial. “It says that a litter bin would be an intrusion, that it would spoil the bucolic scene. But it doesn’t seem to feel the same way about donation boxes. So I think it’s a difference of philosophy there, but I have to say that my experience with the National Trust in that respect is very disappointing.”

He intends to write again about the car park but said: “And again it will get me nowhere.”

A spokeswoman at the Trust said she was unable to comment about the lack of bins.

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