I got asked this by my son after we had to throw out an old toy and I realized I didn’t have a good answer beyond that it goes to the dump. After they pick it up, does it get sorted at all? Does it matter what else it’s with? What would determine which specific landfill or recycling center or wherever it would go to? What does it look like when it gets here?
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Assuming you’re in North America — If you toss it in the trash, it goes straight to wherever your community sends its refuse (dump, incinerator, barge, etc.) without any sorting.
It goes from your curb to the garbage truck to a transfer station, and then on to wherever it’ll end up.
Nobody goes through the trash looking for recyclables.
As for where recyclables go, that depends on where you live and how they process it. Some operate their own sorting facilities, others just sell the material wholesale, but many communities (far more than is commonly known) typically send some or all recyclables to landfills.
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