The government should increase its efforts to cut down on the amount of waste from businesses, a parliamentary committee has said.

The House of Lords Science and Technology Commission suggested introducing variable rates of VAT to encourage companies to reduce the amount they contribute to landfill.

The body criticised the government's approach to date, which so far has concentrated largely on households, which make up only a small proportion of total waste.

Businesses must be encouraged to use less, re-use and repair items where possible and consider recycling before sending items to landfill, the committee said.