Andy is quite right, things can't go on the way they have done. For one thing the population is always on the increase, packaging is always on the increase yet land fill sites will have to diminish and finally dissapear altogether.
Here in Belgium we don't have all that many places that we can use for land fill sites (anyway they pollute the water that we drink), and recycling has been going on for some time now. England can't escape from this trend, that will become law in the EEC.
We have two main bins in solid plastic and cat & dog proof, grey one for household rubbish, green one for kitchen rubbish, stuff that can be turned into compost. The grey bin is collected every two weeks as is the green one, on alternate weeks so they can use the same men and transport. There is are chips attached to the bins and they are automatically weighed and registered by the lorry that empties them, so you pay for the amount of mess you make. You have the choice of composting your own kitchen rubbish, if you have the room, and we get a free composting installation plus free lessons on how to make compost. All plastic bottles, milk cartons and tins go into a blue bag and is collected free every two weeks. Paper and cardboard are also collected, free, every month. Wood, old planks, cupboards, chairs, settees ETC, every 6 months. Another 6 monthly collection is of things like old mattresses, none wooden furniture, carpets, cycles, stoves ETC, all free, but they will come anytime you ask for a fee of £15. Twice a year they collect all dangerous rubbish such as left overs of paint, motor oil, thinners, acids, car batteries, chip fat and oil ETC, all free.
This list of stuff we have to sort out for recycling is endless, but this has reduced the amount of rubbish that in the past was tipped or burnt by over 50%!!! If we are very careful sorting out our rubbish we only have to pay for the grey bin, for us this amounts to about £32 a year. As for spreading diseases, we are only allowed to put the rubbish out on the street after 18:00 on the evening before the collection, so no rubbish is left rotting on the streets. Well worth the effort for future generations, don't you think?