A lot of goods which come in re-usable (not just recyclable) bottles or jars, both glass and plastic, come at a surcharge (e.g. are artificially overpriced) which you are reimbursed with when you return the empty bottle. Similarly plastic bags in food shops are generally not free (they cost a few cents), so people do re-use plastic or cloth bags much more. In GB you seem to get a plastic bag with anything. Last year we spent several months back in London, and were mightily amused when one of the big supermarket chains gave out free re-usable bags and ‘half the nation’ walked around with “we’re doing our bit for recycling”-smiles on their faces.

In terms of penalties and incentives, in Germany you can be fined if caught willfully disposing of all rubbish in the wrong bins but it is rare. In some regions of Germany, though not where I live (it differs slightly from federal state to state), I’m told that refuse lorries even weigh the amount of household rubbish collected at each house and one pays one’s refuse rates according to the amount of rubbish one produces.