Recycling levels are currently at around 25% in Wales

The bid - the second such request since the system was introduced - will enable the assembly to draw up laws to combat graffiti, littering and fly-tipping.

It will also set higher targets for the amount of household recycling.

The move has been welcomed by some environmental campaigners, although others believe the new measures do not go far enough to tackle climate change.

Under new rules, the assembly can request the transfer of powers bit by bit, allowing AMs to draw up laws, known as assembly measures.

Failure to tackle the issues can lead to disengagement and more serious social problems Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson

The proposal was outlined in a statement to AMs by Sustainability Minister Jane Davidson, who said "highly visible nuisances" such as litter and graffiti that people faced every day "can have a significant negative impact on their quality of life".

"Solving these issues is often at the heart of encouraging people to engage more widely in wider environmental such as addressing climate change and increasing recycling," she said.

"Failure to tackle the issues can lead to disengagement and more serious social problems".

Tegryn Jones, chief executive of Keep Wales Tidy, welcomed the assembly's request for additional powers but warned it may not be enough to combat every environmental issue.

"The assembly government has made quite bold statements in the past about wanting to deal with plastic bags, for example, but hasn't had the powers," he said.

"While this may not give them the exact powers they need, it certainly goes a step.

'Lack of ambition'

Liberal Democrats accused the Labour minority administration of being "too nervous to take that much-needed bold step" on the environment.

Lib Dem environment spokesman Mick Bates said: "This request for powers will only allow the assembly to tinker at the edges.

Campaigners want decisions on large power stations devolved

"Doing more to deal with litter - as is being requested - is a positive step but it betrays Labour's lack of ambition on green issues".

Friends of the Earth Cymru praised the assembly government for increasing domestic recycling from around 4% to 25%, but said its proposed target of 40% by 2010 did not go far enough.

They want to see levels at 60-70%.

'Watch this space'

Gordon James from the organisation also said it wanted to see new measures tackle power generation policy which accounts for a third of Wales' carbon dioxide emissions - the main greenhouse gas.

"Obviously we need more initiatives at an international level but we certainly have to devolve more power to Wales," he said.

"We have a particular problem in Wales with electricity generation. That's responsible for over 30% of carbon dioxide emissions.

"We would like to see the decisions on large power stations devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government so then we could develop schemes like combined heat and power schemes which are far more efficient and generate far less carbon dioxide."

Ms Davidson defended the recycling targets, saying they were a vast improvement on levels a few years ago which were virtually non-existent.

She also said the assembly government had already asked the UK government to transfer powers on energy generation to Wales.

"We can do an enormous amount (to tackle emissions) but we have to work up detailed plans on who is emitting and what is being emitted," she said.