Put an Apple tag on a piece of cardboard or a glass or plastic bottle and toss it in your “recycling bin”.
Then watch it turn up in the local landfill.
There’s no money in recycling.
In Michigan Republic Services will send recycled loads to the regular dump if 3 percent of the items are not recyclables. I would wager everything picked up on recycle days goes to the landfill.
What is the useful lifespan of a solar panel? Presuming no physical damage if you are so lucky.