A service station in Kent will be the first in the country to offer discounts off snacks and drinks to motorists who recycle their litter.

As part of a new scheme to tackle roadside rubbish, drivers will be able to claim cash vouchers by putting their empty plastic bottles and coffee cups in special recycling reward machines.

Due to be launched on Thursday, the initiative will be tested at the Maidstone services at junction eight of the M20 for six months - with the hope of a UK-wide roll out if it is successful.

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The machines will issue a 5p money-off voucher for each item deposited for recycling.

The county town's service station was chosen to pilot the scheme after being identified as a key stop-off point for tourists and lorry drivers travelling to and from the continent.

It is part of the DriveDownLitter campaign created by environmental charity Hubbub and is being backed by Highways England, Shell, Costa Express, Roadchef and the 13 Kent councils through the Kent Resource Partnership.

As well as recycling machines, giant funnel bins are being installed for lorry drivers at both Maidstone and Folkestone services so they can bin their waste without having to leave their cabs.

Litter on roadways has not just been seen to be detrimental to the environment but also a cause of accidents when thrown from vehicles with 22,000 reported in England in one year alone.

Highways England service delivery manager Wayne Moore said: "Each year we collect around 200,000 bags of litter from the motorways across the country – around 500 a day.

"Litter isn’t just unsightly, it can block drains and harm wildlife. Picking it up puts road workers in harm’s way and is a distraction from other vital work they could be doing.

"I would urge road users to dispose of their litter responsibly" he added.

Hubbub chief executive Trewin Restorick said: "Litter by our motorways is an eyesore, harms wildlife and is expensive and dangerous to remove.

"DriveDownLitter brings together a unique partnership of organisations exploring whether we can change habits and cut littering."