The current tactic they have to encourage recycling needs a massive overhaul. In my area we have two bins, two bags and two boxes.
Of the two bins, one is for general waste and is the smaller of the two. The other bin is for grass cuttings and garden waste but costs £36 a year. We have one bag for plastics and tin, and another one for cardboard. Then we have a box for glass, paper and clothes and small electrical items. Then we have another box for food waste.
The general waste bin gets collected once a fortnight. Everything else is collected weekly, except the green waste bin which only gets collected if you pay the fee. We can use the local tip, but they reduced the opening hours so that most people can only use it during the weekend, where it is absolute bedlam and hour long queues and gridlocks the local area.
Its an absolute disaster. I religiously recycle absolutely everything I can, but honestly I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of residents can't be arsed with the whole thing. On a weekly basis you get plastic and glass strewn over the street where either the binmen drop it, or it's poorly secured overnight and is either blown around by the wind or foxes and cats have their fun.
I'm pretty environmentally conscious, always recycle, have a hybrid car and cycle commute as much as I can, but honestly it makes me look back fondly to the days when you just had one bloody bin per household!