The proportion of household waste sent for recycling in Carlisle fell last year, new figures show.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy said a simpler recycling system is needed as England falls "further and further behind" its European neighbours.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs figures show 43,144 tonnes of waste were collected by the former Carlisle City Council in the year to March 2023.

Of this, about 17,604 tonnes were sent for reuse, recycling or composting – meaning the area had a recycling rate of 40.8 per cent.

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It was down slightly from the year before when 41 per cent of household waste was sent for recycling.

The figures also show the estimated household waste fell from 417.2 kilograms per person in 2021-22 to 390.2 kilograms last year.

In Carlisle, about 391.3 kilograms of household waste was recorded per person last year – down from 404.1 kilograms in 2021-22.