We have lived in remote NE Oregon for about 8 years now and have worked out the following recycling system:
1) four containers in the kitchen - 2 trash cans under sink marked 'burnables' (anything that will burn but not compost) & 'non-burnables' (plastics, etc. get bagged & re-deposited at grocery store), 1 pot w/lid sits on counter near sink for wet garbage (emptied into garden hole - you should see the pencil-sized worms!), & a grease can for liquids (goes into burn barrel).
2) five mud/back porch stackable recycling bins (Wal-mart) - 1 for metal cans & jars (sorted to boxes in barn & recycled locally), 1 for milk jugs, etc. (recycled along w/ aluminum 75 miles west about twice yearly), 1 for 5 cent rebate soda cans & bottles, 1 for newspapers (used for starting the wood fire each morning), and a cardboard box for magazines, etc. too thick to burn (recycled locally - I've been tempted to take a selection of magazines from bin to read at home!).
3) two outside trash cans - 1 for metal scraps (taken at dump for free), 1 for misc. trash (must pay to deposit at county dump except on 'free dump day'). Also have 1 pile of metal fencing, smashed mail boxes, etc. waiting for dump run - they take metal for free.
4) Don't forget to check for things at the dump that YOU can use like wire fencing, lumber, etc. - free for the asking.