Part I Understanding the Problem What’s so mysterious about recycling? We dutifully put our waste paper, cardboard, empty cans, plastic containers, and glass jars into our recycle containers and then set them at the curb. Some of the more conscientious of us even give some thought to the rules for what can be recycled and how it should be sorted. Others don’t. Then we all go about our daily lives thinking that we are building a more sustainable world by turning our waste into someone else’s treasure. Seems simple enough. Ah, if only that were true. Historical Perspective Recycling, as we think of it today, didn’t come into existence until…