Unfortunately, in San Francisco, at times when the amount of recyclables collected from the recycle cans is too low, our fees are increased because the recycling program fails to collect enough to pay for itself.
The problem is our cans get raided every week after they are put out. It's not by homeless folks, it's by cheap people collecting them to make money. So the raiders make money, and everyone in the neighborhood has to pay more to the trash collection company.
So cut out the middle man, and sell the crap yourself, and quit paying the company.