The three R's of environment refer to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Every Thursday, the local council picks up a green box of paper, tin cans, and glass for recycling. My council tax goes towards the labour involved in collection and recycling.
Recycling is the most expensive of all three R's because it involves technology and labour.
To reduce your consumption requires discipline. Not all of us can cut down on packaging and consumption. My old T-shirts become rags for cleaning the floor. My old dresses become pillow cases. My old skirts become cloth bags.