I think the basic problem is that there is no feedback mechanism for recycling. For example, I could judge an eaten-but-not-entirely-washed-out plastic contain

I think the basic problem is that there is no feedback mechanism for recycling. For example, I could judge an eaten-but-not-entirely-washed-out plastic container of hummus to be clean enough for recycling, but I will never know if it is ultimately recycled or thrown away once it leaves the green bin. Machine learning could help consumers by leaps and bounds by being able to say with a picture or two whether a given item is recyclable. I don’t know how you would incentivize people to use such an app, but I imagine options such as redeemable points or discounts (like paying less for coffee in a reusable container at most coffee shops) or public shaming (like when the power company tells you how much you spend on electricity versus your neighbors) could help make recycling more efficient. Aside from that, though, I’m not sure how to do much more on the consumer side of things. As others have mentioned here, the choices are often plastic, plastic, and plastic.