Retailers could be forced to pay up to £1bn for recycling under the government’s new waste initiative.  Supermarkets, retailers and major drinks brands currently pay just 10% of the cost of collecting and sorting the 11 million tonnes of packaging waste produced in the UK. The government strategy, expected to be published this month, will see contributions from retailers and producers rise from an average of about £70m a year to between £500m and £1bn a year.