We don't have trash pick up, we take our trash to the dump, do our own recycling at the same place and the weigh the car going in and coming out. They pay us for our recycling of aluminum cans and we pay for the difference in weight of the vehicle entering and leaving the dump, with a minimus charge of $5.00 per trip. It just makes sense to pay by the weight.
We have the option of doing that as well, but I don't think it's possible, here in the People's Republic of Seattle, to completely opt out of the home trash collection fees. And taking a load of trash to the dump in Seattle is a whole lot more expensive that $5.00
It's different when it's a required, regular fee such as the way the article relates the matter in the UK. There is great concern that it will only increase illegal dumping and cause a great public health risk.