A vegetarian restaurant commended in last year’s Green Guardian awards is making substantial savings through its green approach to business.

For the last two years Riverside Vegetaria, in Kingston, has used recycled napkins but owner Ritchie Sakthivel wanted to do more.

He got in touch with Go Green service to see what else the restaurant could do from a green perspective and subsequently replaced 90 per cent of the lighting with energy efficient technology.

A system which only turns on the toilet’s flushing facilities when people are in the restaurant has saved him 40 per cent in water bills.

He now has plans to introduce a travel plan for staff who live in the same area to come in by one car.

The Go Green service also put him in contact with a company, which collects cardboard and cooking oil.

They started picking up their bottles too at the end of April.

• Find out about more local green groups at greenguardian.co.uk