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A raft of new recycling regulations came into force across England on March 31, meaning certain items can no longer be placed in your recycling bins, or you risk them being left uncollected. This new Simpler Recycling scheme carries numerous advantages, yet it's difficult to overlook the fact that it will also make decluttering considerably more challenging.

Under the Simpler Recycling rules, councils and waste collectors are no longer obliged to collect certain items from household recycling bins. This will affect recycling materials commonly found throughout your home and even in your garden. Here are the everyday household items that are an absolute no-no to place in your recycling bins.

A vast number of electrical items are bought each year, yet currently only a small proportion, particularly smaller items, are gathered for recycling.

Unwanted electrical goods such as an iron should not be placed in the bin - if your iron is broken and cannot be donated, you can drop items off at your nearest Recycling Centre.

Most UK local authorities state they accept clean glass bottles and jars in household recycling. Candle jars might seem as though they should fall into this category, but there are a couple of issues that have resulted in them being banned from your recycling bins.

Candle jars frequently contain residual wax, soot and metal wick holders, and many feature stickers, glued decorations or mixed-material lids. Furthermore, certain jars are manufactured from heat-resistant glass that melts at a different temperature to standard packaging glass.

From a waste-reduction perspective, the most sensible option is almost always to reuse the jar rather than depend on recycling. Old candle jars can be repurposed into several useful items:

• Containers for refilled candles
• Bathroom storage for cotton buds or toothbrushes
• Desk pots for pens and pencils
• Small plant pots (with a bit of drainage added)

With the vast array of lighting options now available, recycling lights and light bulbs can be a rather confusing affair.

All domestic light bulbs and tubes can be reused or recycled, but should never be placed in your household waste or recycling.

The reason for this is that some light bulbs contain potentially hazardous substances such as mercury. Ensure all bulbs are removed from their fittings prior to recycling.

While you might assume that vases would be perfectly suited to glass recycling, you'd actually be mistaken. It is advisable to refrain from placing vases in with your regular glass recycling.

This is due to the fact that they can be composed of varying glass compositions, much like drinking glasses. Consequently, this can create complications during the remelting stage of the recycling process.

If you have vases to dispose of, donate them to a charity shop or enquire whether a friend or family member would like them.

Mirrors typically feature a metallic coating, which is precisely why they cannot be deposited into a glass recycling bin. The coating risks contaminating pure glass products that are otherwise suitable for recycling.

The recommended course of action is to take the mirror to your nearest recycling centre, where it will be processed and disposed of in a responsible manner.

If the mirror remains in good condition, another viable option is to donate it to a charity shop, or consider whether a friend or family member might have a use for it instead.