Same thing in Italy. In many regions citizens separate waste, and they mix it back into a single landfill to save money or because they're not organized to dispose of it properly.
I'm hoping that applying recent advances in Machine Learning and Robotics we could build better, automated sorting facilities. Or is that being too naive?
From all over the world. Germans cannot recycle most plastics - it's simply not viable at scale at this time. Therefore things are shipped to Asia.
The plastic created and received in Asia often lands in landfills and subsequently in rivers. A handful of major streams transport massive amounts of plastic waste into the Pacific ocean [1].
That's at least where a good chunk of it is coming from. That's how you get US or European plastic running down rivers in China into the Pacific.
Whenever you try and legislate something into existence the consumer is the one who ends up paying the cost.
I think a better method would be to incentivize using a more environmentally responsible product ( glass? ) where applicable. Perhaps a tax break for companies that start taking new initiatives to promote this.
A good example would be soda: being able to fill up a glass container of even your own reusable plastic bottle. Just like many do with water at the grocery. I've often wondered why we don't do this as a society and it ( like many things...) boils down to cost.
Incentivize this cost and it will start happening.
Starbucks has done this with straws, and even their hot and cold cups. It would be great to start seeing others do the same in more areas.
Recycling has little to do with the environment except for the minor factor that transfer trucks will have to drive slightly farther as the close landfills fill up.
