loads. Due in part to that, programs morphed into being designed as single stream recycling - throw everything in a bin. Lead to lower quality, higher contamination and other things, but China wanted the material and kept buying. Some loads would be rejected, but the contamination levels significantly raised over time. Not long ago you would sort materials into different bins at the curb, but labor costs to collect were too high to be sustainable. So many examples of how things changed for so many reasons.

OCC (cardboard), while cyclical, is very much in demand. Lots of virgin board here, which is sought after overseas where they don't have anything but recycled (each time you recycle a box, the fiber gets shorter and the quality of the box declines).