This is partly Micro$oft's fault for embracing political correctness. There is a way (obviously requiring lightyears more intelligence than these poor folks possess) to rename it to "Trash" or "Garbage" and apply it to every user profile.
'recycle bin' of her computer and then emptied it -- she thought it meant the records would be recycled and used again."
I couldn't agree more. Recycle is just bad terminology for the 'literalists' among us...