You already have this choice, and it is not incompatible with finding a way to use the machine without its contents (a recycler in this case might be forced to

You already have this choice, and it is not incompatible with finding a way to use the machine without its contents (a recycler in this case might be forced to wipe it - win/win). But Apple is just too greedy, and successfully already sold you this as a feature, not a limitation of their own system.