But it used to be that outside of metals, recycling was actually a net negative to the environment. The amount of energy, chemicals, and pollution required to reclaim used plastic and paper vs. making new was actually worse than just throwing it away. Metals, especially aluminum, were different. Recycling aluminum was actually cheaper and easier than making virgin aluminum. But while paper and plastic can be recycled, it is extremely inefficient.

I even saw recently that reusable shopping bags may not be all they are cracked up to be. Once you add up the environmental impact of the raw material (typically cotton...so the environmental impact of the farmland), the dying process (because they have to be pretty and emblazoned with logos that tell everyone how environmentally responsible you are, and textile dying is a NASTY process), transportation (they aren't made in the US after all), and the pollutants of the factory where they are made, you would have to use one bag for well over 5 years before the environment was better off than just using plastic bags.

Want to save the environment...skip the bottled water, drink your coffee out of a mug, and buy beer and soda packaged in aluminum cans. Those do more good than recycling plastic does.