New bin collections rules to start in the spring

But BBC expert says England's new four-bin recycling rules from March could mean £400 fines

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A BBC expert has issued a warning over £400 fines as massive changes to bin collections for every home in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire and the rest of England are rolled out.

The changes to recycling will be brought in from March. The shakeup is intended to increase the amount of recycling and create uniform policies across England. From March 31 all local authorities in England - including Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, Stafford Borough Council and Newcastle Borough Council - must begin consistent collections of glass, metal, plastic, paper, card, and weekly food waste. This means homes will have four bins for recycling in most cases.

Speaking on BBC Morning Live, lawyer Gary Rycroft, below, said the new rules only impact people in England: "There are new rules coming in, the government has imposed new rules in England to say that people should have four different types of waste. The rules come into force March 31 this year. So moving forward, you're going to have to separate your waste into things that can't be recycled, then we've got food waste, and then we've got paper and card, and then we've got other dry recycling-glass, plastic, and tin."