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What's the big deal? We have sorted our waste into *fifteen* categories for ages (paper, card, glass, metals, plastics, compostables, tetrapaks, electricals [covers light bulbs, dead toys, dead appliances], monitors/TVs [don't get many of them], soil, rubble, batteries, fabrics/clothing, polythene films [carriers, shrink-wrap] and "non-recyclables" [this last still disappointingly large]). We then take it to the recycling centre ourselves, although we will finally get kerbside recycling of some of these (not all) later this year. Some stuff goes to charity or is FreeCycled/Freegled. To be serious about recycling the maximum amount that you can at a cost that the local authority (i.e. tax payers) can afford, it relies on the householder doing the donkey work. I think that, in time, there will be more consumer pressure on manufacturers and retailers to simplify packaging. That will help with reduction as well as recycling – it has started, but will take a while to really gather momentum.
separating the wanted from the unwanted