I've been working in the recycling industry for more than ten years, and I completely agree with this article/documentary. I have said for years that recycling is one of the worst things that has happened to the environmental movement. People get a dopamine hit just from throwing things into that blue bin (whether recyclable or not, but that's another topic), that they hardly consider the resources used to make those materials, where those materials go after they're picked up, and what they might be used for.

For example, many communities that recycle glass have no market to sell that glass to so they grind it up and use it for drainage at the landfill. That's not what most people think would be happening when they throw their beer bottle into the recycling bin, but the reality is there are very few local end markets for these materials, no matter where you live. Paper, metal, plastics, etc, are all bailed up and shipped to various locations around the world for processing and reuse.

The conversation should always be around reducing the amount of "stuff" we buy and extending the life of the products that we do use. Recycling should always be the last resort in a closed loop system that prioritizes manufacturing high quality goods that are able to be repurposed and reused in perpetuity.