Print-specific waste management company J&G Environmental said a company sending five tonnes of waste to landfill a week would under the increase pay more than £13,000 a year in waste disposal.

It has said savings could be made through avoiding landfill, while some recycling streams could actually earn a dividend. However, the company added many print companies ignored low-impact waste streams, only ensuring hazardous waste streams were taken care of.

Customer care manager Richard Spreadbury said: "Printers have really cleaned up their act; they all deal with the nasty stuff very well. But it seems to have been at the expense of the humble skip in a lot of cases.

"Printers don't tend to know how their general waste is dealt with – are they being charged by weight or by lift, for instance? There are substantial savings to be made just by putting a relatively simple waste management programme in place."

The government has been increasing landfill tax annually in an attempt to meet European recycling targets. By 2014/15 it will cost more than £80 per tonne to send waste to landfill.