Deleted Files Keep Coming Back to MAC bin

This is a Google Drive issue, not an Apple issue. After spending some significant time with Apple Support, it actually turns out that the fix, while a bit cumbersome, is quite simple.

When you delete something from your Google Drive in Finder, it takes that file and puts it in your Trash on your machine, as well as putting that file in the Trash folder in GD. When you empty the Trash on your machine, the file is permanently deleted from YOUR LOCAL DRIVE. It is NOT, however, permanently deleted from your GD Trash folder. Your GD lives in the cloud. GD is smart enough to move the file you deleted in Finder to its own Trash folder, but not smart enough to know that when you empty the Trash on your machine that is also empties the Trash folder in the cloud. This is why, after you delete the file on your machine, the file you just deleted reappears in your Trash, but if you look to the right, there's a little cloud next to it. That little cloud icon is pointing you to your GD, it's reflection of what's in the Trash folder there. Items that do not have a cloud next to them are physically in the Trash on your machine waiting to be deleted.

Put more simply, when you empty the Trash in Finder, this does not equal deleting files in your GD Trash folder.

From GD's standpoint, items deleted in GD are held in the Trash folder for 30 days, after which they are deleted forever. If you want the Trash in Finder to appear empty as well, you have to remember that it's showing you two things: The physical files you have put there from your device, as well as those that live in the Trash folder in the cloud (denoted by the little cloud icon next to the file).

THE FIX: Open up a web browser, sign in to GD, navigate to your Trash folder, and permanently delete the files that reside there. You can do this by clicking the Empty Trash button on the top right of the list of files, or do them individually by clicking the three dots on the right and then selecting "Delete Forever."

Once you do this, sync your GD by clicking on the Drive icon in your tool bar (Top right of your Mac OS desktop screen). Click the gear at the top right of the window that drops down, select "Pause Syncing" and then click the gear again and then click "Resume Syncing." Give it a few minutes and your Trash bin in Finder should now be empty. If it's not, restart your Mac and see if that forces the sync.

Remember, in this case, Trash on your Mac is receiving synced information about what's in the GD Trash folder.

Hope this helps everyone! PLEASE upvote this post if it was helpful so that search in Google will do a better job of displaying this fix for others. I will make another thread as well.