Why don't we recycle EVERYTHING??

Trash is an issue. It fills up landfills with waste that isn't biodegradable, and sometimes even toxic. This doesn't make any sense to me. We acknowledge that it's an issue and something we need to do something about, and yet the easiest solutions are not being implemented. How hard would it really be to ensure that everything produced and consumed is either recyclable or biodegradable? 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures 2007. Table 3: Materials Discarded in the Municipal Waste Stream 1960 to 2007.)

There are few things I would care for government to do, but if we have such an entity that could do so, why could they not simply regulate it so that everything is to be recyclable or biodegradable so that we would no longer be simply filling landfills with items that will essentially last forever within that landfill? Even better if everything could simply be recyclable, though I realize that isn't probably realistic. The government is all about regulating everything anyway...

I've found that recycling things is likely not happening as much as it should because it isn't convenient or easy. In attempting to find out how to recycle things such as metal hangers and old electronics, I've found that there are websites (such as http://search.earth911.com/) that will help you find locations that will take those items. Which is helpful, but then you have to have time to take it to those places yourself, and hopefully they are nearby and open during the hours you're not working.

In the end it's all about money. The environment takes a backseat to the all mighty dollar. It's not cost effective to make everything recyclable. It's probably not cost effective to recycle everything either. I sure do hope they make it cost effective to build and fly rockets off the planet before we can no longer live here at least. Just saying.