this just isnt true though. there are some plastics like thermoset plastics that are fairly valuable commodities and are worth recycling. there are many plants making money off shredding, sorting and extruding into little granules that can be used for things like injection molding. not to mention that recycling e-waste is another very profitable and useful activity. copper wire alone is a complete no-brainer. penn and teller were definitely not spot on.