You say recycling but I think you mean re-use. The energy costs involved in recycling are not trivial and someone still needs to "pick it up from every house".

You say recycling but I think you mean re-use. The energy costs involved in recycling are not trivial and someone still needs to "pick it up from every house". Its is almost always preferable carbon-wise to re-use, especially in metropolitan areas where pickup is trivial and could easily be performed on the next delivery. A small security deposit would cover the costs, or just keep them if you want some storage boxes.