Not what you might think from the headline. The story itself lets us know what might have happened. It's almost certainly not just some fraud on the part of the city/county or the recycling contractor.

I can't tell you how many times I have gone to recycle and found people's household garbage, old furniture, construction waste, lawn waste, and God-knows-what other crap stuffed into the containers. Just selfish assholes ruining it for those of us making an effort to be responsible and for the community. When they come to collect the recyclables and find it full of that kind of contaminates, they have no choice but to landfill it.

While I'm at it, what part of "no plastic bags" -- plastered all over the recycling bins -- do people not understand? You take all the time to put your plastic bottles or metal cans or glass jars into your containers at home, and you are too damn lazy to dump them out of the plastic garbage bags when you get to the recycling center? Plastic garbage bags can screw up the machinery and contaminate what is supposed to be recycled. There is a reason they ask you not to throw them in. Empty them, take them home, and use them again. It's just not that hard, folks.