The proposal is to recycle plastic bottle tops which normally end up in waste sites.

Lush, which has a store in Maidstone, operates a factory in Dorset which melts the non-biodegradable tops down and converts them into pots.

The tops are made of a different plastic to the bottle and in most cases recyclers chop the neck off the bottle to prevent contamination. The top will then end up in landfill, be incinerated or "downcycled" into a low-grade material.

The council floated the idea during its communities overview and scrutiny committee meeting.

The bottle-top service is already in operation in Lush stores across the country with shoppers able to leave their unwanted caps in specially provided bins.

These are then chipped into small pieces, melted and turned into product pots.

It is not clear whether the council plans to include bottle top collections in its fortnightly household recycling service.

In 2008, Lush claims it recycled more than 180,000 tonnes of plastic bottles but said a further 32,000 tonnes of plastic could have been recycled if the tops had been included.

Also under the council’s consideration is a recycling venture with NOAH Enterprise, the Luton-based homeless charity.

As well as providing food and medical care, the group offers life and work skills to help people get their lives back on track.

It runs a number of shops selling used furniture, clothing and kitchen appliances to help finance the courses.

The council is proposing to open a similar store in Maidstone.