Anyone who has ever been to a recycling plant is invariably surprised at how dirty and nasty America's favorite green activity really is.  Trucks dump the material on a long conveyor belt, where a few dozen people pick through by hand what is supposed to be recyclable material but more and more often is just plain old dirty trash. The recyclables used to be worth something more than bragging rights about liberal moral superiority.  Plastic bottles, newspapers, and cardboard were just a few of the favorites you could ship to China by the ton and make a few bucks along the way.  No more: Last year, the Chinese were happy to pay us $100 a ton for newsprint.  Today, $5 a ton is the going rate. Even that is disappearing: too many people are putting too much bad stuff in their green bins.  Result: The pizza box stewing in a half-full can of cat food is now considered contaminated, and the Chinese do not want it at any price. It...(Read Full Post)