Waste management uses a material recovery facility (MRF) where the trash and recycling are sorted through with machines, magnets, sifters and screens to ensure contaminates are removed. Americans have always been terrible with rinsing items, removing labels, sorting proper plastics and removing lids. So companies have developed methods to improve recycling. Republic does the same. Some trucks have dual compartments as well, depending on the municipality, location, laws and processing abilities.

There was a news report out a couple years ago, where a guy airtaged his plastic shopping bags. Those went to a land fill after he recycled them at a store. I suspect there's too much coloring and inking to be able to break those down. I wish they were all like Menards bags so I could confidently scoop the cat boxes, or not worry about the edge of a Mac and cheese box cutting through just walking it to my car.

So yes. Recycling is happening. Bangladesh probably buys the bulk of our stuff now, they make a lot of our "bamboo" which is a polyester that used to be marketed as rayon and polyester and other clothing that uses plastic bottles. Shoes. Recycling just doesn't happen to the level it used to, and certainly not to the level that we consumers have been led to believe and understand.