Michael Gove ‘haunted’ by plastic pollution seen in Blue Planet II

Environment secretary's action plan, due in new year, may include plastic bottle deposit scheme and standardised recycling policy

Cutting plastic pollution is the focus of a series of proposals being considered by the UK environment secretary, Michael Gove, who has said he was "haunted" by images of the damage done to the world's oceans shown in David Attenborough's Blue Planet II TV series.

The government is due to announce a 25-year plan to improve the UK's environmental record in the new year. Gove is understood to be planning to introduce refundable deposits on plastic drinks bottles, alongside other measures.