It has nothing to do with "getting off my butt". My wife will tell you I spend way too much time puttering and tinkering around the house and the yard. It would be very easy for me to separate the garbage if I thought there was a compelling and legitimate reason to do so.
It has nothing to do with cheapness. I am not cheap. Both my wife and I can be too free-wheeling in our spending some times. You should see teh piles of wrapping paper we don't recycle at Christmas time each year from all the excessive gifts we buy our kids and each other.
I do however, object to spending money against my principles. If I was going to buy a car and it said on the invoice we add one cent to the price of every car to help pay for abortions, I wouldn't buy the car -- period -- At any price.
Its a matter of principles and when they foist a massive fee on me as punishment for being a consumer I will find every scheme I can to get around it.