City bakers are being urged to turn bread into beer following a new study by the Chamber of Commerce.

It suggests the waste from making bread could be used in the brewing process and that spent grain from brewing can be used to replace up to half the flour needed to produce bread.

The move would add to what is known as the circular economy which aims to ensure things are designed and made to last and that products and materials are recirculated continually ensuring nothing goes to waste.

It means the materials which make up a manufactured product could be fully recovered or recycled into new products resulting in financial gain and zero waste.

The study looked at how Glasgow can adopt a new way of working which would result in firms collaborating to improve sales and increase profits while reducing the city’s environmental impact.

City council leader Frank McAveety said: “Glasgow is a city which moves with the times, looking for new opportunities which will help out city, citizens and businesses grow and prosper.

“We are therefore hugely supportive of growing our circular economy which harnesses products no longer of use to one business and passes it on to another which can make use of it. We believe innovation is key to the future.”

Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland said the recycling plan suggested by the survey could deliver continued economic growth and ensure natural resources are managed sustainably

He added: “This new partnership with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce is an important step to get businesses on board with this exciting new vision for both the benefit of the individual business and Scotland’s broader economy.”

City-based West Brewery already turns spent grains from its brewing process into flapjacks and other bar snacks which it sells across Scotland.

And in Brussels, leftover bread from local supermarkets is processed into meal suitable for beer making.

It is also possible to recover heat from bakery ovens using a heat exchanger saving up to 30% of the energy currently used in the process.

Glasgow is only the second city in the world to undergo an in-depth survey into its potential to be a global leader in the circular economy.