> the result still needs to be further sorted (there are 20 or 30 types of recyclable plastic alone They actually have machines for that. There's a youtube vid

> the result still needs to be further sorted (there are 20 or 30 types of recyclable plastic alone They actually have machines for that. There's a youtube video on how they sort types of plastic. > Glass needs to be sorted into 4-5 different colors Sorting by color is trivial to automate. > Paper needs to be sorted into 4-5 different qualities. Yes. However where I live you have to separate cardboard from everything else. Most other paper gets shredded into pulp and recycled.