Be careful what you recycle my brother picked up what seemed to be a PERFECT computer desk, it even looked brand new I gave him props. Five days later I see him itching all over and he can't make out why, upon further inspection the new desk was ridden with bedbugs!
He had this chair sit in his bedroom for 5 days so they had time to infest his entire bedroom and then had to call a exterminator and buy a completely new bedroom set as those buggers had crept into the actual wood of every furniture piece in that room.
I agree with your post though people throw away things for the dumbest reasons, but sometimes you just have to ask yourself why this is too good to be true.