My understanding is that the overwhelming majority of recycled material just ends up with the rest of the trash.

I'm asking because over the years I've hoarded an incredible amount of the plastic flower pots that house plants come in, and I've recently admitted to myself that I'm never going to use them. I'd chuck them all into the recycling, but they're all dirty so I have to wash each one individually, and I'm not sure if there's any actual point in doing that.