what I think should be done is require waste management companies to sort the plastics, glass, and metal in different locations in the landfill. however they do

what I think should be done is require waste management companies to sort the plastics, glass, and metal in different locations in the landfill. however they do this is up to them (obviously it's ripe for automation). Then, at a future date, if it makes sense to recycle plastic, someone could dig up the landfill where thousands of tons of plastic is stored. same for glass, etc. this would not require a second set of trucks to drive down the street and release CO2 so we can all do the job that should be the responsibility of a corporation whose service we're paying for. as a bonus, if enough of the organic material was in one place, it may be easier to harvest the methane given off (which they already do, but would be more concentrated if a considerable portion of non-biomass were separated).