The Green Party has pledged to put the environment at the heart of its local election campaign.

Reducing waste and acting on recycling and traffic congestion will form the basis of its push for May's council polls, the party said on Monday.

"Where we have even a few Green councillors they make a real difference to their local authority," said Keith Taylor, chairperson of the Association of Green Councillors.

"They raise issues that the other parties won't, but which are important to large sections of the public."

Backing "forward thinking" policies, the party said it would aim to make Britain rubbish-free by 2020, slashing the amount of waste produced and creating up to 50,000 jobs in the recycling and reuse industries.

Green councillors would also promote renewable energy developments such as offshore wind farms and back congestion charging as part of a comprehensive strategy for traffic reduction and sustainable transport.

Later in the campaign the party said it would reveal further policies on opposition to airport expansions and support for asylum seekers.