A CUMBRIAN council says it aims to ensure a "consistent approach" to its waste services, as its leadership agrees a new waste and recycling policy.

Executive members of Allerdale Council, which last year brought its waste and recycling services in-house, this week agreed a new waste and recycling policy, outlining a set of rules and standards that the authority will use to guide its residential and trade waste and recycling collections.

The policy includes a range of aims, including to encourage a reduction in the amount of waste and recycling "at source", prior to collection, and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill sites.

Allerdale's new waste and recycling policy was agreed by the council's executive on Wednesday.

Tony Markley, Allerdale's executive member for environmental services, said that the council's waste and recycling service is one of the most important functions it performs.

He described it as a "service that affects every single person living in the borough".

“This new policy aims to build on the brilliant work done so far within the council and by our colleagues at Allerdale Waste Services to deliver a great kerbside waste and recycling collection service," Mr Markley added.

"As part of our 10-year council strategy we pledged to help create a ‘cleaner, greener Allerdale’ and this policy will help us achieve that goal.”