Recycling failed? Because it was too expensive? Where do you live? We recycle cans/bottles/paper once a week. They use the same trucks as for bagged garbage, just make 2 trips. Probably costs a little more in gas for the trucks and labor, but - volume of waste picked up is the same. Garbage pick up is twice a week and costs about $45/month.
Did you know the steel mini-mills are cost competitive with foreign steel because they primarily use recycled metal as their input?
Did you know that those boxes that you get stuff delivered in is primarily or entirely composed of recycled newspaper & cardboard?
And did you know that in 98% of the country those same trucks drive to the same place on both trips, a local dump or incinerator?
And that's because it's cheaper. There's no real market for used plastic or metal (other than cleaned aluminum). And the newsprint recycling market is saturated with a 50 year supply at this very minute.