The Green Alliance and recycling charity Wrap claim the new breed of companies that embrace recycling and servicing goods to prolong their lifespan could create thousands of new jobs in unemployment black-spots.
They say as many as 200,000 jobs could be created as the economy shifts to reusing materials traditionally discarded by businesses and households, according to a study by a leading green charity.
The move could stimulate jobs in areas of high unemployment that specialise in services exported to the rest of the country, the report argued. Firms spearheading ways to share services, such as car clubs, could also spur a growth in low and semi-skilled jobs.
Green Alliance director Matthew Spencer said parts of the economy were recycling in a way that dispensed with the traditional linear process of making goods, using them and then disposing of them in landfill.