"here's an overview of the recycling conspiracy's talking points"
Wait, are you saying this paper you linked and the part you quoted is made by proponents of the idea that recycling is a conspiracy? It looks rather pro-recycling to me... The first sentence you quoted states outright: "recycling of paper/cardboard, plastics and biopolymers for most indicators assessed provides more environmental benefits than other waste management options". I didn't read the whole thing though.
The link is to a very long and boring PDF that summarises the various pros and cons of different waste management approaches based on hundreds of Life Cycle Analyses. Overall recycling is often the best choice and landfill invariably the worst.
It doesn't really mesh with the worldview presented by the linked article(s) where it would appear to be claimed that the only ones to ever take a calm, logical view of the matter were professionally contrarian journalists, who concluded it was all worse than doing nothing 20 years ago and still believe that today.
Wait, are you saying this paper you linked and the part you quoted is made by proponents of the idea that recycling is a conspiracy? It looks rather pro-recycling to me... The first sentence you quoted states outright: "recycling of paper/cardboard, plastics and biopolymers for most indicators assessed provides more environmental benefits than other waste management options". I didn't read the whole thing though.