We´ve got a recycle-system called the Dual System: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Dot_%28symbol%29 Tomorrow they will come again to collect our yellow bags, which is about one time per month. We do that since over ten years now. We also separate cartonage, wood, metal, colours, electric trash, anything. There´s nearly nothing which won´t be recycled. Allthough you sometimes have to store some kind of trash in your house it´s a very good thing. I´ve heard that lots of the packaging materials here in germany consist now of recycled material.