Tesco is introducing clear caps to 425 million of its own brand milk bottles per year to make them easier to recycle. Red, blue and green coloured caps are being swapped for clear alternatives, and customers will begin to see the change in stores over the coming weeks. The clear caps can be recycled back into milk bottles.​ Customers are encouraged to replace the clear lids back on milk bottles before recycling them to ensure they are not lost or discarded.

The move means 3,900 extra tonnes of recycled plastic per year can go back into making new bottles, according to the grocer. Coloured plastic needs to be processed separately from clear packaging. ​

To date, the supermarket claims to have removed as much as 2.2 billion pieces of plastic from its UK business, including more than 200 million bags from its Tesco.com deliveries, around 100 million extra lids from products such as wipes, creams, yoghurts and desserts, as well as 33 million pieces of plastic from bakery bread and doughnuts. Earlier this month, the company also announced the trial of new packaging for its fresh mince which it claims uses 70 per cent less plastic as well as being fully recyclable at in-store soft plastic collection points.

​ Asda, Waitrose and Aldi ​ will be changing their milk bottle caps from coloured to clear ​ this year.