Shipping recycling to Asia always seemed like a complete waste of energy, but according to
some British study, it's not because of the net trade imbalance. Since we import more from Asia than we export, it's better to load those returning ships up with crap we don't want to deal with...
I still don't see why there can't be facilities to process the materials more locally, though. We do have a big glass recycling facility here, in the most recyclingest city in the US, but I've seen those container ships loaded with bales of our junk mail pulling out of the port headed west.