A Field Guide to Trash

Give a hoot! Don't pollute.

Field Guide Vol. 233

We all produce trash! Too much, in fact! Trash is an issue that is often overlooked and taken for granted but what gets tossed and what gets saved is also so revealing of our cultures. It is an everyday reminder of the modern world's consumption habits and their environmental consequences. This week, we're turning our attention to the environmental nuisance that is trash―and how communities across the world have managed it. Join us as we journey from Ancient Greece to the shores of Nigeria, beginning with Alexis C. Madrigal's reflections on California's Bay Area landfill.

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From Trash Heaps to Park Land

By Alexis C. Madrigal