What not many people realise, is that the amount of energy and cost it requires to have a recycling system actually negates the amount of recycling that actually occurs.
In other words there is more pressure put on resources when we recycle, than the amount of resources saved by recycling.
Recycling in theory is a good idea, but in reality does not actually work. Countries continue to recycle because they are being seen as making a proactive effort to lessen their impact on the environment. This, combined with the public desire to recycle, which to put it simply, comes from the self confessed reasoning "because it feels good", is why they continue.