Lake County, long the "poster child" for recycling in Ohio is dumping the program, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, because the costs are too high. The story (link here) is enlightening on the costs of recycling:

Lake County had provided free curbside service to its residents since 1993, paying for it with a multimillion-dollar surplus accumulated from fees charged at the Kirtland landfill. The county paid $1 per household per month, while cities, villages and townships began to pay 69 cents per month in 2003.

That would have increased to $2.25 per household, per month next year, Hodges said. Most local officials told commissioners when polled that the amount would break their budget.

"Everyone wants to be an environmentalist, but it eventually becomes a cost-benefit ratio thing, too," County Commissioner Dan Troy said

The question I would have, if I lived in Lake County, would be: if it isn't worth recycling when the money comes from the local budgets, why was it worth doing when the money came from the "multimillion dollar surplus" from the landfill? Couldn't that money have been better spent on, say, roads, schools, tax relief, parks, etc.?

The problem of governments not facing the true opportunity cost of the resources they spend seems evident here.