BUSINESSES in Kennet recycle a tiny proportion of their waste compared to the domestic sector.

While congratulating residents for helping them recycle over 48 per cent of household waste, Kennet District Council is now pointing the finger of shame at the commercial sector.

Commercial recycling in the district remains at a dismal three per cent and Kennet's performance manager, Ian Brown, highlighted the paradox between business people's behaviour at home and at the office.

He said: "Over 90 per cent of people who have businesses in Kennet, live in Kennet. They will recycle at home but when they go to work they think it is acceptable just to throw everything in the bin."

Adrian Hampton, the officer in charge of recycling services in the district and overseeing its success as the best recycler in Wiltshire, said: "The irony is that it costs less for them to recycle than to send everything to landfill.

"The landfill tax is going up by £8 a tonne per year and it currently stands at £42 a tonne, which has to be passed on to the customer. And it is going to get much more expensive next year.

"We have offered recycling facilities to all businesses but the take-up has been very limited. Only 100 companies in Kennet have signed up to our commercial cardboard recycling scheme and cardboard is the main component of waste in the commercial sector."

Kennet's success in domestic recycling has come very much from the bottom up. The majority of residents have embraced recycling and the demand for extra black recycling boxes has been overwhelming.

The uptake of the garden waste recycling scheme has also been impressive, despite the fact that it costs participating households £28 a year.

Mr Hampton said they would continue to charge for this service as they would prefer residents to compost the waste in their own gardens.

But just over a quarter of residents in Kennet prefer to shell out and leave out their green bins for collection. This accounted for nearly half of the recycled waste picked up by Kennet recycling lorries during May.

Kennet's recycling rates put them among the best authorities in the country and Mr Hampton paid tribute to district residents for this success.

He said: "We are delighted residents have taken up this battle for us. Obviously figures vary according to different parts of the district.

"Families in Marlborough and Ramsbury are recycling well over 50 per cent of their waste. In Tidworth there are special problems as service families move in on a temporary basis.

"But we are working with them to increase their awareness of which bins belong to their property and how to get involved in recycling."

The last battle looks like the one to involve the commercial sector in saving the planet.

Some, like Devizes brewers Wadworth & Co, Erlestoke Prison and the marina at Lower Foxhangers, have taken up Kennet's recycling scheme with gusto.

But this still leaves a huge number of businesses and organisations not doing their bit.

Mr Hampton said: "We would be pleased to hear from them and give them advice on how they can save themselves some money and join in the recycling campaign."

The commercial recycling advice line can be reached on (01380) 734665.