[hipster duck]

I wonder how much waste is actually diverted in our big cities where 1/3-1/2 of people live in multifamily apartments and condos that might have private garbage pickup.

In many of those buildings, my impression is that waste diversion practices are horrible. If your option is to throw a bag down the garbage chute on your floor, or physically transport yourself 30 floors down to the basement to separate your recyclables, it's pretty likely that the most of the recyclables are going to wind up in the landfill.