Wasteland

An enlightening and often frightening and overwhelming book on the complicated global network of our waste industry and its sins of the past, present and future.

Waste out of sight is waste out of mind, as affluent nations buy themselves free of their guilt with their second-hand donations and recycling initiatives. In a novel form of waste colonialism, we're simply pushing our waste onto nations without environmental regulations nor the infrastructure to cleanly deal with it. And while waste should be visible and front and center, it secretly trickles into our underground waters, is emitted into air as toxic particles, or causes death and sickness on the other side of the world.

The only sensible solution for the average person is to consume less. As long as the waste industry is somewhat opaque, you can never be sure if your waste ends up in a landfill, incinerator, or material recycling plant.

Is your city's sewer network connected to the stormwater pipes?
Where does your city's recycled plastic really go?
Where has your country buried it's nuclear waste of the past?