A pub owner is appealing to the council to provide recycling bins to businesses to help them go green.
The Cricketer pub in Chessington throws away 14 bin bags’ worth of recyclable rubbish and up to 1,000 glass bottles a week.
However, Kingston Council does not have a recycling service for businesses in the borough. Owner of the family-run pub Tony Howe, 46, said: “It just doesn’t make any sense that the council doesn’t want to get involved with recycling as it is so big right now.
“If they can’t give me a bin to put inside the pub I would be happy to put it outside in the car park because it’s a hell of a lot of bottles just knocking about.
“I can’t go to a bottle bank and I don’t want to be fly-tipping. I imagine I throw away more bottles than 100 households put together around here.”
The council only provides collection services for domestic properties.
In comparison, Richmond Council works closely with businesses to support and offer free advice in reducing waste through a Go Green Richmond upon Thames initiative that has more than 600 businesses signed up.
A Richmond Council spokesman said: “For a fee, Richmond Council provides businesses in the borough with sacks and wheelie bins as part of our commercial waste and recycling contract, which is available five days a week, across the borough.
“Businesses can recycle paper, card and cartons in one bin or sack.
“Furthermore they can also recycle glass, cans, tins, aerosols, foil, bottles and trays in a bin provided for mixed items.”
Kingston Council still has no immediate plans to provide recycling services to businesses. A spokesman said: “As a council, we will offer a collection service for commercial waste if it is first requested by a local business.
“However, there is no requirement for us to provide the collection service.
“Kingston Council does not have its own waste collection fleet or staff, we would need to approach commercial contractors on the business’s behalf.
“Commercial waste collections are covered by different legislation and licensing. It is therefore not possible to include commercial waste collections as part of the council’s household waste collection service.”
The council also stated there had been no demand from borough businesses for the service.
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