New recycling rules are set to come into force that will tie councils across the UK into common guidelines and make it less confusing for millions of households.

Campaigners have long been calling for the move after complaining of a postcode lottery on recycling - where local authorities differ on the types of waste they collect.

Environment secretary Michael Gove is now considering creating nationwide standards to try and cut down on the disparity across the UK, according to the Daily Mail.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told the paper: "The Secretary of State wants to make recycling as easy as possible for households.

"That is why we will look to accelerate making local authority recycling schemes as consistent as possible through the resources and waste strategy."