Residents in Sevenoaks can continue to recycle from home in the way they have become used to, according to the council.

New EU rules, due to come into force in England by January, 1 require councils to collect recycling in such a way so they can be used to produce the highest quality materials.

This could have led to separate collections for paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and cans meaning more work for residents and more cost to taxpayers.

But an independent report, commissioned by the council, has found that a high percentage of the materials it collects for recycling are of a high standard and therefore the service can continue in its current form.

Cllr Robert Piper, the council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "Our weekly recycling collection service is popular, well used and couldn’t be simpler.

"We don’t ask our residents to find room for multiple bins and boxes, instead they simply fill up a clear sack with range of recycled materials and we do the rest.

"They can have confidence that we make the best use of the materials they put out for recycling.”

The council’s recycling service was reviewed against the Waste Regulations Route Map, a tool developed by the UK Waste and Resources Action Programme to provide a clear process to help councils decide if they are compliant with the EU Waste Framework Directive.

Sevenoaks District Council collects dry-recyclable materials, including paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles, together in clear sacks which are later separated at a materials recovery plant for recycling.

From June to September, more than 98% of the materials collected through its clear sacks scheme were recycled.

More than 2,300 tonnes of glass bottles were collected from bottle banks during the same period.

The council's Cabinet considered the assessment of its recycling service at its meeting last night.