This sounds like the UK. In the UK everything is slightly dirty, but then there are these significant piles of garbage that just go unattended and grow in size

This sounds like the UK. In the UK everything is slightly dirty, but then there are these significant piles of garbage that just go unattended and grow in size. I think it shocked me when I first moved there. Years of rubbish in some areas, months in others, and it would be right in front of peoples houses and parks. The UK really got left behind in terms of quality of life at some point. GDP doesn't buy nice living. I'm sure it's similar in other parts of (wealthy) Europe.