Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage

by William L. Rathje, Cullen Murphy

For the past 20 years the U. of Arizona's Garbage Project has sifted, sorted, and classified a quarter of a million pounds of garbage. Rathje, the director of the Garbage Project, and Murphy, managing editor of The Atlantic monthly , tell us what our garbage tells about us. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

Genres: Nonfiction, Archaeology, Science, History, Anthropology, Environment, Sociology

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Marcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many respects this study is revelatory, debunking many myths about landfills and garbage. It's certainly a book that makes you think twice. The chapter on biodegradation is especially enlightening for what the authors unearth with respect to how little organic matter actually biodegrades, which makes sense given how little oxygen there is inside. He also presents interesting debates on the difference between styrofoam and paper in the fast food sector - and many other aspects of manufacturing that gives you the whole picture of the life cycle of a product. The final chapter on the ten commandments of reducing are good - especially the encouragement for composting - although I do wish that had taken more of a front seat to the book as a whole. one last point: it's quite irritating to read a book like this and find no bibliography at the end.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may have been written thirty years ago, but much of what is told is still relevant. The myths that it debunks continue to crop up every once in a while such as the Pampers in landfills, polysterene in landfills, the biodegradability of plastics and paper, and much more. The politics of trash is fascinating as is the science behind biodegradability (which rarely happens despite claims that it does). The history of trash and its influence on civilizations and what can be learned from trash in archeology is worth the reading of the book. I never knew that there was so much I didn't know about garbage, including all the terms used to describe various types of trash. The information in this book is told with humor and is based on a very thorough and scientifically rigorous Garbage Project.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. My one complaint is that it is copyrighted 2001, and while that is only 11 years ago, it left me wondering about how some of the data they used has held up. Specifically, the authors mention the persistence of paper in landfills, and the reliance on newspapers to date the artifacts they find. How is this going for them now that newspaper subscriptions have crashed? So, I'd love an updated edition.

Otherwise, I found the book amusing and entertaining and very easy to read.

[Aaron Ambrose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vastly exceeded my expectations. I was up for an archaeological view on waste, and I got that. What I didn’t expect was an eye-opening analysis and exploration of the social and environmental ramifications of widespread ignorance - let’s just go ahead and say delusions - that just about every person has about garbage. For example, when polled people assume the content of landfills to be more than 70% fast food packaging, disposable diapers and plastic. The truth, based on actual landfill digs that the Garbage Project has conducted since 1972, is that those items account for about 3% of landfill weight. The true bears are paper (about 35-45%) and construction/demolition waste (about 20%), two waste categories that simply don't register in most people's minds. This is crucial to know when devising and debating real practical strategies for waste management. This is exactly the kind of sober, reality based critical thinking that 1) fascinates in a truth-is-stranger-than-propaganda way, and 2) is crucial for civil sanity and wellbeing. Extremely highly recommended.

[Danni Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are some of the questions I was expecting this book would answer:
+Where does my garbage go after I throw it out?
+What is the impact of landfills on the environment and on the people who live near them?
+What is it like to be a sanitation worker?

These were not actually the questions that this book answered.

The questions this book did answer were very interesting anyway! Some of those questions were:
+How likely is it that people will tell the truth when you ask them a question about their personal habits for a survey?
+Why do people wildly overestimate the impact of disposable diapers on the overall garbage landscape?
+What can you learn about human beings based on their garbage habits over a period of time?

Despite being a bit historic (c.1993), the information in this book was fascinating and pertinent. I learned a lot about garbage, for sure, but I also learned a lot about human nature and how our perceptions often do not match the actual facts, especially when it comes to taboo subjects like garbage.

[Paul Mullins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to imagine a more compelling and readable archaeological study, and the implications of the book on waste management and consumption patterns are astounding. When people ask me for the single archaeology book they should read, I always tell them to start with Rubbish.

[Angela]

I gave up on this book... I am not sure what I was expecting, but this reads too much like a research paper...it is interesting, but DRY

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given that historians often use the contents of middens to glean information about societies which have long faded away, it's only fair to see what our present landfills (tomorrow's middens) have to say about us. Largely, they reveal how little we actually know. "The Garbage Project" both intercepted garbage on its way to transfer stations from various pots in the country, and literally conducted excavations in landfills, and it found much to contradict common knowledge. Biodegradables, for instance, don't. They don't degrade. This was initially thought to be because modern dumps are sealed against moisture, but there are examples of marginal degradation well before landfill cells became the norm. Many of the favored whipping boys for trash -- plastic and diapers -- don't take up nearly the amount of space as people think. The lions of trash, going by the stuff that's actually in the ground, is paper and construction materials. Throughout the book, there's hints that studying garbage can tell us the truth about people who lie either to themselves or to surveyors: for instance, one Hispanic neighborhood reported that they almost never used pre-prepared baby food, buuuuuuut the contents of their trash bins determined that was a lie. Amusingly, people across the board underestimate how much unhealthy food they eat, and over-report how much healthy food they eat. The book closes with "10 commandments", urging people to concentrate on the real offenders (paper and construction materials), realize that there's no approach to garbage that's a real solution, that instead we need to use landfills, incineration, recycling, and source reduction in concert, etc. They're all very reasonable, sober, and not exciting in the least.

Bottom line: this informative, sometimes amusing, but often dry.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

side note: while discussing this book, I realized that most likely, it would one day become garbage itself. METAARCHAEOLOGY!

That being said...this book was kind of awesome, kind of not. The awesome part: incredibly researched, truthful, and transformative. Environmentalism as a truth and a science, not as pop culture. SO MUCH GOOD INFORMATION! (Perhaps, one might say, like a landfill?)

The kind of not part: there's a lot of talk and just enough pretention all over this narrative that made me reluctant to give it 5 stars. In addition, it doesn't really go into disparities that come up in environmentalist, which, I mean, is not really its job. But still. The point stands.

Also, it's a little dated: they reference, at one point, the USSR's extreme recycling as a sign of their declining civilization. This dates it to pre-1992, which also means that the whole paper thing is something I wish they'd updated in their new edition because I really would love to know if paper usage has diminished any since the 90's and Google Docs.

Regardless, 100% READ THIS BOOK. And then, buy some post-consumer recycled products. And compost. And just...be a little more selfless. Thank you.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this, for the most part, very interesting, although there were parts of it that went into more detail than I really cared about. I had thought, from the title, that it was going to focus on garbage "archaeologists" can determine about people and their lives, as archaeologists of ancient cultures do. There was some of that, but a great deal more had to do with ways to deal with the large volume of garbage. That's certainly worth knowing about, since it's a matter of public policy, but it wasn't what I was looking forward to reading about. Early on, it mentions a book I read decades ago, Motel of the Mysteries, which I also thought would be about what archaeologists would learn about our culture, but it also disappointed me, trying to be funny, I suppose, suggesting that toilet bowls had a religious purpose, but I just found it silly. I had hoped that this book would be what I had hoped that one was, and it did better in some ways, but still not what I had imagined.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book, especially for archaeologists and environmentalists -- I am both.

Much as I enjoyed the approach, writing, and perspective, I did not buy many of the conclusions that the author drew. For example, the author is very defensive of plastic and styrofoam because he's only looking at weight and volume in landfills, not at the toxic qualities these materials possess during every phase of their life course as well as their permanence on this earth. I noticed that this project was funded by many corporations who are often blamed for garbage problems. Did this impact the author's defensiveness of the acceptability of garbage? I suspect so. For this reason, I gave it 3 rather than 4 stars.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a part of my investigation into infrastructure topics and because of my passion for understanding environmental impacts of waste. This is a balance scientific view that really isn't available anywhere else (because no one else will do the research). The only downside is that it is comparatively out of date and it doesn't really delve into the underlying concerns with the waste cycle. Rather it uses waste as a way to understand humans (not make value assessments of their waste habits).

[Greymalkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been interested in this topic and Rathje has a lively style of writing that made this very enjoyable to read. I learned a lot and even though this book is almost 30 years old, it still has a lot of interesting points to make, points that I feel we're only just now starting to see show up in public policy and climate change conversations. Plus I now know where the term "shoddy" comes from and that's a continual source of delight to me.

[Karen M Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're curious about how the perception of something rarely lines up with the reality, read this book; you don't need to be an archaeologist to enjoy it.

The authors explain how garbage (middens) are an archaeological goldmine in truly understanding how people live/lived. While scholarly, I did not feel it was tedious. They do a great job of dispelling landfill myths, I'd love to see an updated version. This book was highly influential in formulating my opinions on ethnographic analogy.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book! Touches on so many aspects: the history of garbage disposal to what we can learn about human behavior to what we can do to move towards better waste management. Also dispels some common myths about what types of rubbish are actually taking up more space and/or are more problematic long-term. This was published in the early 90s so I wonder what additional info an updated account might include...

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is the kind of quirky little book I enjoy. As a social scientist, I especially enjoy the disconnects between what people say they throw away and what their behavior shows they actually do. I also learned a lot about the science of landfills. The only downside is that the book, published in 2001, is now probably in need of an update.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would really appreciate a new, edited, updated edition, given how long it's been since this publication.

[RebL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, really interesting! But dated. My copy from the library was published in 1992. There might be a newer edition; if there is, I would recommend seeking that one out.

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was somewhat dated by the time I read it. There was some really good food for thought, however.

[Mariko Nakamura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While an interesting topic and a well written work, its content is dated and it shows. It sheds far reaching light on the mysteries of your trash.

[Sarah Sims]

More than the average person would want to know about the history of garbage.

[Andrew]

As mentioned in The Down and Dirty guide to Camping with Kids.

[Lou Rocama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never forget the bit about corsets.

[Kirby R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and interesting. I particularly appreciated the level-headed, casual, and even humorous voice the author employed.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought Rubbish!: The Archaeology of Garbage quite some time ago off a remainder table at Borders, according to the price tag. I'm glad it still seems to be in print.

This book examines what our garbage tells about ourselves, both in terms of how we're currently dealing with it, as well as what the subtitle suggests. Rathje is the director of The Garbage Project at the University of Arizona Anthropology department. This project has explored our society over the past few decades both in terms of the fresh garbage as well as excavations of landfills all over the country. The first part of the book looks at some of the findings of this project and how they challenge or confirm commonly held beliefs about garbage.

For example, disposable diapers and foam food containers have both been demonized in terms of their effect on landfills. The Garbage Project found that they comprise a very small amount of total landfill volume - construction debris is the major contributor - and even a relatively small percentage of household refuse.

Food-based garbage is also examined; TGP found that a scarce food commodity tends to be wasted more than when it is plentiful - they looked at garbage from around the time of a beef shortage and found a higher percentage of waste - either people were unfamiliar with how to prepare cuts they wouldn't normally buy, or they hoarded the food & then discarded it after it went bad.

This book also examines past and current waste-disposal strategies and evaluates the effectiveness of each. As dry as this may sound, Rathje and Murphy manage to keep the topics relatively interesting with a mix of anecdotes and conclusions.

Recommended to amateur sociologists who wonder what our landfills will say about us to future generations.

Notes
* Reference to Macaulay's Motel of the Mysteries :^)
* The Garbage Project - a way of studing human behaviour "from the back end".
* Army mess hall study - food waste dependent on several factors - allowed to smoke = less. Told when to start eating = more.
* A.J. Weberman - a "garbage guerrilla" of the 1970's - examined celebrity garbage & wrote articles for popular magazines.
* Modern society is not necessarily generating more household waste - previous generations = coal ash from furnaces & manure from horses.
* National Geographic & men's magazines (Playboy , etc) rarely appear in household garbage - seen as "too valuable" - get shared with other members of family/friends.
* The more repetitive your diet is, the less food you waste. You know how much to buy and how to prepare it.
* Every culture builds its MVS (Monstrous Visual Symbols) - is Fresh Kills landfill one of these? :^)
* WWII - glut of recyclables due to scrap drives - stockpiled & sometimes quietly landfilled.
* Bottle bills met a lot of resistance - grocers, national brewing companies, etc.

Quotes
"It would be a blessing if it were possible to study garbage in the abstract, to study garbage without having to handle it physically... to understand garbage, you need thick gloves, a mask and some booster shots."
"A Willamsburg that offered a real taste of 18th century life would be closed down swiftly by public health officials."
"With respect to paper, advancing technology is not a contraceptive but a fertility drug."
"Garbage expands so as to fill the receptable available.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book, albeit on the older side. The good news is that it has recently been updated by another book, called Garbage Land On the Secret Trail of Trash, which I haven't read (but probably will).

In any case, if you want to know what The Arizona Garbage Project has learned from what we throw away, this book will be a fun read. We throw away a lot of food in this country, whether we want to admit it or not.

And diapers? That bane of landfills is actually not that big of a deal. Actually, the disposable diapers that are thrown away are considerably less than the weight of the paper we casually toss every year. This is an area where I wonder if things have changed a little now that recycling is a little more likely. I hope so; in 1992, most people thought recycling was a fad but now it seems to be mostly an accepted part of life.

Another interesting piece of knowledge: most landfills do not really break down (i.e. degrade) garbage. Hence, 'biodegradable' plastic doesn't work, because it needs air and there is damn little air in a good landfill. Want a yucky example? Workers in he project found in a landfill a steak they estimate had been thrown out several years before, in perfect condition: no bug or animal nibbles, no degrading at all.

The book also includes a concise history of garbage, and why it's a good place to look for information about people. "People" being the generic term, not specific to an individual, although they mention that it's quite good at that too. The things people can find out about you based on your garbage don't bear thinking about!

Now, about that compost pile I keep meaning to start....

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I'd realized this book was 20 years old, I probably wouldn't have picked it up, but it did have some interesting insights on the 'garbage problem'. For example, I learned that fast food packaging, disposable diapers, and other conspicuous waste items don't actually constitute a big portion of the garbage going into landfills - the largest percentages belong to much more mundane items like construction debris and paper.

The book also repeats an important point about recycling, namely that it isn't terribly effective unless there's also a market for the recycled product. Don't just fill your recycling bin with paper: you also need to buy products made with post-consumer recycled paper, otherwise your recycling center is just flooding the market with bales of recycled paper that no one is interested in.

Speaking of paper, the book talks, in its quaint early 90s context, about how the promises of a 'paper-free' world are clearly not going to happen, and bales of newspapers are still stacking up outside landfills and recycling centers. Twenty years later, it would be interesting to know if internet and ebooks and email are finally having an impact on the makeup of household garbage. I'll have to see if there's some more recent research out there!

[Litza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a remarkably sane, objective, and comprehensive account of a very complex set of issues aimed at a mass audience. The writing is far better than it needs to be for its purpose, making it a pleasure rather than a chore to read. And it has brought about major shifts in the way I think of our culture's waste. If you're someone who has ever worried about happens to your garbage when you throw it away, read this book -- it will probably reassure you on some issues, though it may shock you on others!

[Staci · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is interesting - most of our assumptions about what we throw away, how landfills work and what happens to our garbage over time are not based on actual evidence. His project is gathering that evidence. The discussion of plastics and materials is useful, as is his point that most things, especially paper, don't biodegrade even if they are technically able to do so. After awhile though, you get the point and he keeps repeating it - so worth a good skim, unless you're into watered down (but not always enough!) discussions of archeology methodology. I didn't finish it.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read I thought this was an important book. I haven't changed my mind. Every article I read about the huge gryers of trash floating in the ocean (Moby Duck, etc), oil spills, air pollution, homeless barges of trash, toxic pollution, third world disposal of electronic waste, third world becoming the disposal site for first world disposal of dangerous waste and by products of industry, oil and coal production despoliation of land, air, and water I wonder at what the hell we think we're doing. The ogliarchy's complacent rape of us and our world.