Privatisation
Here in Ireland the abolishing of "free" Council operated waste collection has resulted in:
1) Massive increase in Fly-tipping
2) Multiple (up to 6 in some areas) waste trucks visiting the street.
3) Massive bins and smells as collection is at BEST once a fortnight instead of weekly, and sometimes they "miss" and you have a month!
4) Tipped & stolen bins because of the (illegal in some areas) insistence that Bins must be left out the night before.
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Also in my youth all bottles were returnable glass and all take out packaging was paper or card. Few shop sold foods had plastic packaging.
Put a BIG tax on plastic (because it's cheaper than card / paper), a big tax on ALL oil / gas / coal / briquettes, not just retail fuel. Ban single use plastic packaging that can't be easily recycled.
Incentive to use returnable & reusable packages.
Partly Thacherism/Reaganomics are to blame. Some things should be privatised, but not things best as a single entity. The solution is independent regulation, not privatisation, for rail, refuse, water, electriciy network, phone / mobile / data networks etc.
Also abolish "road tax" and especially Tolls (inefficient), simply increase the fuel duty, then the less efficient & higher users pay more.