Recycling

I'm all for recycling and "saving the planet," but when do things like Germany's system of containers for trash become excessive? In America, we clearly don't care enough about the environment, but the German system definitely has flaws as well.Requiring too much effort sometimes has the opposite effect on participation than what is desired. If the trash system was easier, maybe more people would follow its rules since generally, people truly do what to help the environment. Another interesting point about German culture is how rules oriented it is. The rule systems are complex and seem to be adhered to very closely, yet the German people also value being assertive, as proven by their closed door policy. Americans often have a hard time being assertive and playing within the rules, but in Germany this seems to be the expectation. Americans are often timid , as not to be rude in social situations, and when asserting their will they often break minor rules to get what they desire. I have a hard time relating to the German ideas on strictly following rules, but I do approve of their assertive behavior. Too many times, trying to be polite ends up being a bigger pain to everyone than a help to anyone. Examples are traffic, holding the door open, and table manners. Overall Germany and America are different, but their systems both clearly work, although one may be more work than the other.