But it turns out this easy-as-1-2-3 scenario is at least part fantasy.

Much of what's in our blue bins is simply trash -- meaning, it doesn't get recycled, but ends up in landfill. Last week KQED's Brian Watt spoke about the issue and what can be done about it with Mark Murray, who directs the advocacy group Californians Against Waste.

The following excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

You have said consumers have been lulled into thinking almost everything is recyclable.

Mark Murray: Well there's been such a desire to divert material from landfill, and there has been a lack of appreciation of the difficulty consumers have in figuring out the details. So programs have erred on the side of saying, 'Just throw it all in the bin.' But we know that not all that material is recyclable.

How much of what I put in my blue bin is not getting recycled?

Well the good news is that most of the material is continuing to get recycled, because most of the material is paper. Paper, as long as it's not contaminated with plastic or tape, remains 100% recyclable. Glass, 100% recyclable. Metal containers, aluminum cans, 100% recyclable. Same goes with plastic soft drink bottles and water bottles. [PET plastic, coded as No. 1 on containers and packaging.] Same goes with plastic bottles for milk or detergent [HDPE plastic, coded as No. 2].

It is basically the mixed materials, the plastic-coated paper cartons and juice boxes, the 3 through 7 plastics, that are not being recycled.