90% of “recycing” is about behavior control.
On a trip through Italy a few years back I was amazed this small tourist spot had a dozen recycling cans taking up the sidewalks. I watched as tourists dutifully sorted their plastics, papers, food, etc in to the appropriate bin like well trained little monkeys. When the trash truck came they tossed all the bins in to the general trash and drove it to the landfill. I was just laughing and when I asked the restaurant server why they bother with all the cans. He said the tourists revolt and leave their “recycleables” laying around all over the place because they are so offended by putting something “recycleable” in the regular trash can to be disposed of. So, they keep the recycle bins out and just dump it all in the same trash truck for the well trained tourists.