How the recycling symbol got America addicted to plastic

Yes, it was graphic design all along.

I honestly don't understand where you got this from. Listening to this article lead me to very different conclusions. That we were trained to be wasteful after the invention of plastic by big corporations. That when people started, many decades ago, understanding this and wanted to make corporations "clean their sh*t", the corporations managed to shift the public narrative and put the focus/blame on us. And that we still live in a world that these corporations are actively influencing policies through lobbying for their monetary profit.

So consequently I cannot agree with you when you say

How could we not see that a symbol would want to put plastic in our balls?

We are the dumbest for not noticing that all along.

because it's not a matter of being smart or dumb. Smart people are not immune to being manipulated.