Surrey County Council has spent more than £1m on ink and toner cartridges in the past three years.

The figures, revealed by a Freedom of Information request submitted by Cartridge People, showed that the amount spent on ink in 2013-14 jumped almost £20,000 from £353,474.51 in 2012-13 to £370,711.53.

The request also revealed that 90 per cent of the cartridges bought by the council were original branded products, rather than cheaper remanufactured products that would have cost 70 per cent less.

Andrew Davies, a spokesman for Cartridge People, said: “We understand the printing demands placed on local authorities, but it is disappointing for taxpayers that Surrey County Council is spending more than £300,000 a year on branded products when they could make massive savings of 70 per cent by choosing remanufactured and environmentally friendly versions, especially at a time when cutbacks to services, including environmental, are being made.”

Cartridge People compared the prices of its 15 top-selling “branded” products with “non-branded” versions and said 70.1 per cent could be saved – nearly £200,000.

Visit www.cartridgepeople.com for more information.