Garbage collection is actually a pretty good indicator of a nation's overall health.
If everything is working optimally then all the people pay some taxes so that the government is able to pick up the garbage and streets stay clean. Simple stuff.

But if shit starts going sour a number of things can happen
>government officials become corrupt, use garbage collection money to fund personal extravagances or vanity projects instead
>citizens become too poor to pay enough tax money to keep the system running smoothly
>garbage men stop feeling dutiful towards their nation and start demanding more money for their work
>citizens become degenerate and no longer care about the overall state of their nation so they start littering

A nation full of garbage is a failed nation.
If you look on Google Street View and there's garbage lying on every street, it's a bad country to live in, and usually everyone is to blame, from the bottom to the top.
A healthy nation filled with healthy people is characterized by order, cleanliness and a sense of safety. Pic related is what every nation should strive towards.