While millions of homeowners face punitive charges to get rid of their rubbish, supermarkets and food and drink manufacturers are benefiting from an £8million fund to look at ways to reduce packaging.

Among those receiving cash are Coca-Cola, Argos, Asda, Tesco, Heinz, Coors, Co-op, B&Q, Marks & Spencer, Northern Foods and Iceland.

Up to 4.3 million tons of retail packaging end up in our rubbish bins every year.  Food wrappings are estimated to add an extra £470 to the annual shopping budget for the average family. However, under proposals from the Environment Secretary David Miliband, the onus of getting rid of the waste will fall ever harder on taxpayers.

Smart chips in wheeliebins to charge for waste collections by weight and fees at tips are two of the latest  schemes. Plus fines for anyone leaving out too much rubbish.

The controversial waste strategy was published last week following last month’s local elections in which fortnightly collections were a key issue. The High Street companies are being paid through a scheme set up by WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, to support innovation throughout the supply chain.

Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Peter Ainsworth said: “Multibillion- pound companies should be doing this off their own backs and, if they are not, we need to ask why not.”