The old hit them in the wallet technique. Paying for trash bags was enough for the general resident to consider how to use/pay for less trash bags. When this gets scaled up to the municipal level the impact can be profound.

I totally agree with you about being efficient about it. That logic applies to food waste as well. Reduce your food waste by eating what you buy/cook, recycle it by making a broth stock/supplementing your livestock feed, then compost it. Food waste is generally your wettest, heaviest and stinkiest waste.

You can compost that greasey cardboard

REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. COMPOST. If nothing else sorting your own waste keeps you aware of it. As far as the industry goes...