Gordon Brown has a slop bucket to collect food scraps - Telegraph

The Prime Minister's wife Sarah Brown is also "going green" and recently followed in the footsteps of US First Lady Michelle Obama by planting an organic garden.

Every section of life at Downing Street has been made more environmentally friendly. Cleaning staff can only use products that are not tested on animals, locally grown flowers are used for decoration where possible and new furniture has to be from wood that has been replanted. The kitchen offers a vegetarian option to encourage staff to cut down on red meat - which contributes to global warming - and only sustainable fish is served.

A spokesman said the kitchen caddies, which are also used by the Chancellor in No.11, was all part of a wider plan to make the Prime Minister's home more sustainable.

"The Prime Minister makes every effort to be more sustainable and reduce his impact on the environment. From composting and recycling to installing bee boxes and buying locally-sourced and sustainable food wherever possible - Downing Street has adopted a number of simple measures that could be replicated in homes and offices across the country," he said.