How we deal with our waste now and in the future is one of the biggest challenges we face. We have seen ever increasing levels of waste being produced in the county whilst facing less landfill capacity and the threat of large financial penalties, driven by regulatory changes at national and European levels. We must move away from our dependency on landfill towards more sustainable methods of waste treatment technologies. Residents' and businesses' expectations of waste management are changing. In essence, it is time for change. 

This Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Cumbria sets out the issues we face and looks to the future. It is published by Resource Cumbria, the county's strategic waste partnership, of which Cumbria County Council is a partner. Everyone in Cumbria must contribute to reducing the amount of waste created and to reusing and recycling more. Our rubbish must be seen as a resource from which we should recover as much value as possible. Only when we all work together can we make a real difference for Cumbria and its unique environment. 

We listened to your views and incorporated them into the strategy. A new and updated version of the JMWMS is now available to download. If you would like to read the report highlighting the results of the consultation we carried out then please email us with your request, remembering to include your postal address.

Although our initial consultation period is now over, we still welcome any comments that you would like to make. It is important that the JMWMS is and remains representative of the people of Cumbria. We will continue to review this document on a regular basis to ensure that it remains relevent and offers the absolute best value for Cumbria and it's residents.

www.resourcecumbria.org