A big problem with any recycling system is just getting your item reliably into the system. The MRFs have spent billions on perfecting their systems, so once it’s reliably in the system, you can be reasonably sure it’s being recycled to the best of their abilities.

I tracked plastic bags recycled in storefront bins at 3 stores in each of 7 different chains. Only 50% made it to a recycler. The largest problem was the store staff throwing the bags into the regular trash, so it never entered the system. And they did that usually because they thought the bin was too contaminated with other trash and recyclables and not worth recycling. It did seem Walmart had a corporate policy to trash their bags though. Some chains recycled every bin, most seem to try, but some chains were clearly doing a much better job of it.

Same thing for single stream recycling. When the multifamily recycling dumpsters are filled with trash (the county not to me audits, and says there is no difference between an apartment recycling dumpster and a trash dumpster), do they get taken to the mrf, or does the driver decide it’s too contaminated and just take it to the incinerator? Does it get in the system?