On my first playthrough I think I didn't use sprinklers until my 2nd year, so I wasn't in dire need for refined quartz, which is great because I didn't know about smelting quartz/fire quartz until after my second playthrough. And since I chose the riverland farm I fished quite a lot, once I figured out I could recycle the trash I started collecting them instead. Before I knew it I have a whole slew of refined quartz than I know what to do with, so I never really needed to use the furnace to smelt.
Ever since then, I definitely prefer to use the recycling machine than the furnace, it also gives me a nice feeling to turn trash into treasure rather than using up quartzes and coals that I could use for something else.