Supermarkets are driving up tax bills by using excessive packaging and undermining consumers' efforts to recycle, according to local government.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has come out against the major multiples as they claim householders’ efforts to recycle are negated by bills on excess rubbish.

The LGA has produced its third survey of food packaging and found that in a typical shopping basket almost 40 per cent of packaging could not be recycled easily.

It estimates that this is contributing to the £1.8 billion councils will spend on landfill tax between 2008 and 2011. The study was commissioned by the British Market Research Bureau.

A Waitrose basket weighed in heaviest, with 802.5 grams of packaging, while Tesco was lightest at 645.5g. Sainsbury's had the greenest, with 67 per cent easily recycled, while Lidl was least green at 58 per cent, according to the British Market Research Bureau.

Margaret Eaton, the chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “At a time when we’re in recession and shoppers are feeling the pinch, we have to move on from a world that tolerates cling-filmed coconuts and shrink-wrapped tins of baked beans. Families are fed up with having to carry so much packaging home from the supermarket.

“Getting rid of unnecessary packaging would cut costs and could lead to lower prices at the tills. When packaging is sent to landfill, it’s expensive for taxpayers and damaging for the environment. Supermarkets need to up their game so it’s easier for people to do their bit to help the environment.”

The LGA said that packaging recycling costs could seriously reduce tax bills if they are made more sustainable and supermarkets contribute towards recycling service bills.

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