Firms are being urged to do more to recycle unwanted goods after a study found that products worth more than £1bn are going to waste every year.

In Kind Direct, a charity which distributes goods to voluntary groups, says goods that could go to a good cause are ending up in landfill sites.

The charity's chief executive, Robin Boles, said: "Every day in the UK charities struggle to raise sufficient funds to purchase essential items. At the same time, manufacturers and retailers will send these very same items to landfill, denying charities the chance to use these goods and make a real difference to people in need."