Garbage Land

5 star rating

February 29, 2008

Chris J. 26 reviews Send Message | Add to Friends

Where does it go when you throw it away?

It has been a couple of years since I read this book, but I wanted to review it here because I think it's a great resource. It was one of the things that helped me think a lot more about my effect on the planet and how to live (at least a little) more sustainably.

Garbage Land is basically one New Yorker's quest to: a) find out more about what (and how much) she puts in her trash and recycling, b) where all that trash and recycling goes when it gets picked up by the trash/recycling truck. There are other themes as well, but these are the main ones.

My favorite aspect of the book is that the author is easy to relate to. She doesn't come across as a zealot urging you to stop all waste production of any kind, Instead, she comes across as a realistic American and mother who is affected by what she learns about trash. For example, although she learns the value of composting some of her household's waste, she is honest about the issues with being successful at it, especially in New York City.

The book is also quite educational. I learned a lot about garbage dumps and their inherent issues (they typically don't biodegrade, they produce gasses as they age, they can leach all sorts of nasty things into the ground and water supplies), recycling, fertilizer, and sewage. Fun stuff!

I highly recommend this book!

Chris J.'s keywords: book, garbage, recycling, composting, trash, little brown publisher

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