Gadolhadorah,
“adopting such practices was either minhag hagoyim”
Given your high level of hostility to and unfamiliarity with frum Jews, I suspect that either you did not understand the responses you got, or are making up this response. I have never heard “minhag hagoyim” as a reason to not recycle.
“or simply encouraged more “extreme” demands from environmentalists (e.g. not paving over your front lawn to park 2 minivans or not trashing local parks during chol hamoed outings).”
Wow, who needs anti-Semites? You’ll perhaps be disappointed to know that when I went to Hershey Park for the first time on chol hamoed Sukkos, there were thousands of frum Jews in attendance, yet the park was clean and orderly, and the patrons well behaved.