I remember soda bottles being collected and being send back for washing and refilling too!

Last time I saw that was in the 70s.

Evidently Tetra paks are recyclable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XirqnOfdZ7M

I was skeptical too, but the US practice of shipping bales of discarded Tetrapaks to Mexico is weird.

Aren't there underemployed people in the States?

The recycling machines don't look that power intensive or sophisticated.