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Year of No Garbage: Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman's Trashy Journey to Zero Waste
"Eve’s brave and honest experiment reveals the shocking impact of the Year of No Garbage is Super Size Me meets the environmental movement.
In this book Eve O. Schaub, humorist and stunt memoirist extraordinaire, tackles her most difficult challenge to date: garbage. Convincing her husband and two daughters to go along with her, Schaub attempts the seemingly impossible: living in the modern world without creating any trash at all. For an entire year. And—as it turns out—during a pandemic.
In the process, Schaub learns some startling things: that modern recycling is broken, and single stream recycling is a lie. That flushable wipes aren’t flushable and compostables aren’t compostable. That plastic drives climate change, fosters racism, and is poisoning the environment and our bodies at alarming rates, as microplastics are being found everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest to the placenta of unborn babies.
If you’ve ever thought twice about that plastic straw in your drink, you’re gonna want to read this book.
In this book Eve O. Schaub, humorist and stunt memoirist extraordinaire, tackles her most difficult challenge to date: garbage. Convincing her husband and two daughters to go along with her, Schaub attempts the seemingly impossible: living in the modern world without creating any trash at all. For an entire year. And—as it turns out—during a pandemic.
In the process, Schaub learns some startling things: that modern recycling is broken, and single stream recycling is a lie. That flushable wipes aren’t flushable and compostables aren’t compostable. That plastic drives climate change, fosters racism, and is poisoning the environment and our bodies at alarming rates, as microplastics are being found everywhere, from the top of Mount Everest to the placenta of unborn babies.
If you’ve ever thought twice about that plastic straw in your drink, you’re gonna want to read this book.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
47 people are currently reading
768 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
April 16, 2023
Most trash is, one way or another, plastic.
Most plastic, even if it can be recycled now, will eventually end up in a landfill...
...and plastic is everywhere.
When Schaub started her Year of No Garbage in 2020—following up on her Year of No Sugar and Year of No Clutter—she thought it would be pretty straightforward: shop less at big groceries and more at smaller stores; eschew plastic wrap; experiment with alternatives to mainstream toothpaste (since the tubes aren't recyclable) and with more sustainable period products. But she got more than she bargained for: not only did 2020 turn out to be...2020...but the deeper she dug into the recycling pile, the more she found that "it's recyclable" is not the solution one would hope. As the year wore on, Schaub's goal became less to reduce her unrecyclable trash to an amount that could be stored in a glass jar and more to figure out just where the (washed, sorted) plastic piling up in her kitchen would all end up.
This feels like a much more honest book than many of the no-trash journeys I've read about—because Schaub couldn't reduce her waste to a glass jar, not once she figured out what it does, and doesn't, mean for something to be "recyclable" or "compostable." It forces you to look at your (plastic) grocery basket and everything in it: plastic packaging, plastic stickers, plastic netting. Or to reach out and see what you can touch that has plastic: my computer and e-reader and the cables that connect them; the buttons on my cardigan; my synthetic shirt; a pen and earbuds and the cover of a notebook and wrappings on greeting cards and on a pack of tissues.
I did sort of lose steam around the halfway point, when it was clear that the problem was going to boil down to plastic plastic plastic and there wasn't a way to fix it, just to dig deeper into how big the problem is. (I can only imagine how much faster I would have run out of steam if I'd been actually living it rather than reading it!) Still, this ended up being a better fit for me than Year of No Sugar...and I'm curious to see how long Schaub's promise to her family that this was the last project will last.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Most plastic, even if it can be recycled now, will eventually end up in a landfill...
...and plastic is everywhere.
When Schaub started her Year of No Garbage in 2020—following up on her Year of No Sugar and Year of No Clutter—she thought it would be pretty straightforward: shop less at big groceries and more at smaller stores; eschew plastic wrap; experiment with alternatives to mainstream toothpaste (since the tubes aren't recyclable) and with more sustainable period products. But she got more than she bargained for: not only did 2020 turn out to be...2020...but the deeper she dug into the recycling pile, the more she found that "it's recyclable" is not the solution one would hope. As the year wore on, Schaub's goal became less to reduce her unrecyclable trash to an amount that could be stored in a glass jar and more to figure out just where the (washed, sorted) plastic piling up in her kitchen would all end up.
This feels like a much more honest book than many of the no-trash journeys I've read about—because Schaub couldn't reduce her waste to a glass jar, not once she figured out what it does, and doesn't, mean for something to be "recyclable" or "compostable." It forces you to look at your (plastic) grocery basket and everything in it: plastic packaging, plastic stickers, plastic netting. Or to reach out and see what you can touch that has plastic: my computer and e-reader and the cables that connect them; the buttons on my cardigan; my synthetic shirt; a pen and earbuds and the cover of a notebook and wrappings on greeting cards and on a pack of tissues.
I did sort of lose steam around the halfway point, when it was clear that the problem was going to boil down to plastic plastic plastic and there wasn't a way to fix it, just to dig deeper into how big the problem is. (I can only imagine how much faster I would have run out of steam if I'd been actually living it rather than reading it!) Still, this ended up being a better fit for me than Year of No Sugar...and I'm curious to see how long Schaub's promise to her family that this was the last project will last.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
November 13, 2023
The book starts as a memoir but quickly turns into an investigation of plastic in America and around the world. It’s everywhere and in everything and it’s never going away. Even the most motivated individuals cannot match the impact of big legislative goals. It’s an easy read and I like her voice although the message is depressing. She’s articulate and has a sense of humor about her experience.
October 15, 2024
Short version - Plastic is the devil and it is everywhere. Scary.
May 8, 2023
4 stars
Moral of the story is do your research. Dont trust those big orgs. Consume less. Be mindful.
Moral of the story is do your research. Dont trust those big orgs. Consume less. Be mindful.
July 18, 2023
I really liked Schaub's previous books, Year of No Sugar and Year of No Clutter, so I was excited to see a new "year of" book from her. And while Schaub is a great writer and obviously very dedicated to her causes, this was a downer of a book to read. Of course Schaub starts out the Year of No Garbage in 2020, not knowing what was to come with COVID-19. And I do feel like she just barely mentioned all the extra garbage created from COVID - disposable masks, gloves, takeout food containers, single-use everything, so many cleaning products it's a wonder we're all alive, etc. Basically the book turned into the evils of plastic and that was the bane of the Year of No Garbage. Not that I'm saying plastic is good, but to basically find out that recycling plastic is impossible was hard to read about - just very discouraging. And Schaub was EXTREMELY hardcore - hand-washing all kinds of plastics and holding on to them hoping to find a way for them to be recycled - almost no one would go to those lengths. Plus, the other downside to this book was that a lot of the stuff she did would be out of financial reach for most people - from paying for special recycling boxes for hard-to-recycle goods, buying a bidet, and shopping almost exclusively from small, health food stores - these are not things the average person can afford to do regularly. I'm not saying we shouldn't all try to reduce our plastic use, but she seemed to have a lot of money to throw at this issue. I did learn some things that I will use now - specifically battery recycling and the plastic bag recycling bins at grocery stores can take more than just plastic grocery bags. Overall, if you want to read about the evils of plastic and how they will NEVER GO AWAY - this is the book for you. Just be prepared to be depressed at the end.
Some quotes I liked:
"But part of my objective in doing a year-long project is not just to demonstrate how hard it may be to live in a way that's different from our cultural norm, but also to ask the questions: Why is this so hard? Should it be? Are there good reasons to rethink things we have till now accepted? (p. 6)
"Worldwide, the pandemic is estimated to have generated somewhere between eight and eleven million tons of additional plastic waste." (p. 81)
"I was coming to realize something. Recycling in this country isn't supposed to actually work. Recycling is broken. And maybe, just maybe, companies like it that way...There simply isn't enough of a standardized approach in this country to make recycling work in any real, effective, and comprehensible way. Instead, we're just supposed to think it works, so we keep buying the products made with materials we as a society don't know what to do with. Shut up and buy stuff! (p. 101-102)
"I've heard it called 'consumerist environmentalism,' and it hearkens back to my frustration with all the glass and aluminum straws that come with their own carrying cases. To be clear: I don't think there's anything wrong with buying a beautiful object if you love it and it will bring you a little bit of aesthetic joy every time you use it, especially if it avoids the use of the ever-problematic plastic. But there's a lot of stuff out there masquerading as useful and sustainable, when it's really just more stuff." (p. 130)
"So when you hear about 'plastics recycling,' we probably shouldn't picture shiny new food containers. Instead, maybe we should picture plastic being melted, ground up into chips and then reinserted into our environments to degrade further, shedding toxic, chemical-laden microplastics that flow into our ground and water supply...That's not even the worst part. The very worst part is that the plastics industry has known this all along....industry documents from as far back as the early seventies describing large-scale plastic recycling as unfeasible." (p. 166-67)
"I was abjectly terrified by this brand-new idea: the idea that we modern humans were playing with chemistry and don't fully know what we are doing, or understand the potential ramifications." (p. 191) [this could apply to food, chemicals, medicine, almost anything...]
Some quotes I liked:
"But part of my objective in doing a year-long project is not just to demonstrate how hard it may be to live in a way that's different from our cultural norm, but also to ask the questions: Why is this so hard? Should it be? Are there good reasons to rethink things we have till now accepted? (p. 6)
"Worldwide, the pandemic is estimated to have generated somewhere between eight and eleven million tons of additional plastic waste." (p. 81)
"I was coming to realize something. Recycling in this country isn't supposed to actually work. Recycling is broken. And maybe, just maybe, companies like it that way...There simply isn't enough of a standardized approach in this country to make recycling work in any real, effective, and comprehensible way. Instead, we're just supposed to think it works, so we keep buying the products made with materials we as a society don't know what to do with. Shut up and buy stuff! (p. 101-102)
"I've heard it called 'consumerist environmentalism,' and it hearkens back to my frustration with all the glass and aluminum straws that come with their own carrying cases. To be clear: I don't think there's anything wrong with buying a beautiful object if you love it and it will bring you a little bit of aesthetic joy every time you use it, especially if it avoids the use of the ever-problematic plastic. But there's a lot of stuff out there masquerading as useful and sustainable, when it's really just more stuff." (p. 130)
"So when you hear about 'plastics recycling,' we probably shouldn't picture shiny new food containers. Instead, maybe we should picture plastic being melted, ground up into chips and then reinserted into our environments to degrade further, shedding toxic, chemical-laden microplastics that flow into our ground and water supply...That's not even the worst part. The very worst part is that the plastics industry has known this all along....industry documents from as far back as the early seventies describing large-scale plastic recycling as unfeasible." (p. 166-67)
"I was abjectly terrified by this brand-new idea: the idea that we modern humans were playing with chemistry and don't fully know what we are doing, or understand the potential ramifications." (p. 191) [this could apply to food, chemicals, medicine, almost anything...]
December 10, 2022
Amazing read. Really well researched, and the author ultimately reaches the painful conclusion that striving for a year of not contributing a single ounce to a landfill out of the blue is a bit of a folly, that it takes a good deal of prep to get to that step - but that the effort put in and the road traveled is time well spent. The book is invaluable in giving the reader the appreciation of what an uphill struggle it is to fight the plastic industry in particular, and the startling (to some) discovery that the plastic recycling industry doesn't work.
It sounds bleak at times, but the book is an excellent guide to reducing our garbage footprint. There are a number of resources identified that help us all make the impact we can. Some are simple, some are time- and energy-consuming, and some are downright off-putting to some (yes, I'm talking about YOU, menstrual cups!), but overall, the book is a blessing for those of us who want to make a difference.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the free digital ARC. I'm already savoring the day I can get my hands on a published copy.
It sounds bleak at times, but the book is an excellent guide to reducing our garbage footprint. There are a number of resources identified that help us all make the impact we can. Some are simple, some are time- and energy-consuming, and some are downright off-putting to some (yes, I'm talking about YOU, menstrual cups!), but overall, the book is a blessing for those of us who want to make a difference.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the free digital ARC. I'm already savoring the day I can get my hands on a published copy.
May 13, 2023
This book was good! Very informative. I just feel like it was more interesting at first, and later everything started to feel like the same. I was kind of hard to get through but I also have trouble reading these types of books 😂😅
August 18, 2023
Read if you want to find out how the world is going to hell in a (plastic) hand basket.
March 4, 2024
Every toothbrush you have ever owned still exists.
When you say it out loud it seems obvious, but we really don’t think much about the things that we throw away. Eve Shaub and her family conduct an extreme experiment in living without creating any kind of trash, and we get the benefit of learning from their experience. As it turns out (*spoiler*) living without garbage in the society we have created is nearly impossible. Not only does every toothbrush you’ve ever owned still exist, so does every piece of plastic that has ever passed through your hands, and even more than we realize, it is everywhere.
I listened to the audio version of this book and wished that I had the physical copy so that I could take notes on a lot of the facts and findings that she was quoting, but I will reference her blog for that information:
https://eveschaub.com/category/year-o...
An engaging and important read.
When you say it out loud it seems obvious, but we really don’t think much about the things that we throw away. Eve Shaub and her family conduct an extreme experiment in living without creating any kind of trash, and we get the benefit of learning from their experience. As it turns out (*spoiler*) living without garbage in the society we have created is nearly impossible. Not only does every toothbrush you’ve ever owned still exist, so does every piece of plastic that has ever passed through your hands, and even more than we realize, it is everywhere.
I listened to the audio version of this book and wished that I had the physical copy so that I could take notes on a lot of the facts and findings that she was quoting, but I will reference her blog for that information:
https://eveschaub.com/category/year-o...
An engaging and important read.
September 20, 2023
Oof, this was a rough one. But, off the bat, this rating is mostly about the delivery vehicle and not the message (that I'd maybe rate 3 stars, but it too is problematic enough that it can't compensate for what is a pretty damn terrible read).
"Year of No Garbage" is a very interesting concept, the author and her family set out to avoid accumulating garbage for a year (although, it's clear pretty early that this is very much a matter of definition - but no shade on them for that, to really not produce garbage is essentially impossible in a modern society, even if we exclude compostable food waste). The author also checks off some very interesting - if somewhat much-repeated - garbage related statistics, and does a good job accounting for how difficult it is to find out what materials of various kinds are actually made of.
The style of writing though... it grated my mind to the point that I was losing enamel from all the teeth-grinding and had to stop roughly half way through the book (so I guess it could have gotten better). What was clear at that point of the book though, was that it had pivoted somewhat and honed in specifically on the evils of plastics.
But I'll move on. I think that part of my issue with this book is what might just make it a perfect first read on the topics for some - so I do not want to put you off of the book if it sounds at all interesting to you.
It's all very much basic stuff (other than when the author goes on a side-track to find out exactly what on particular thing or another contains and why it can or can't be recycled, but that's hardly feasible for everyone to pursue either), and some of the "difficult" personal hurdles the Schaub comes across are things I (and mostly whole populations in other, non-U.S. parts of the world too) have been doing for ages. So the book just failed to connect with me. The same is true for a lot of the "mind-blowing" facts; they're mind-blowing, true, but they're also common knowledge to anyone who has any amount of insights with them before opening this book. I know that entry-level books are essential, and I know that I might sound like a prick, but I can't help it. I really did not like this book.
And it's not like all of the message is unproblematic either. Single stream recycling, for example, is better than nothing but That. Is. It. It's terribly limiting. The author does not appear to understand that. There's also very little nuance to be found here; Plastic=evil seems to pretty much sum up the argument. Now, I'm not a fan of plastics per se and do not think they should be used willy-nilly just because, but I do want to make sure that we don't replace them with something worse or equally bad for the environment. And plastic definitely has its uses in ways that are very difficult to replace for lower environmental and emission perspectives.
I'm going to stop this rant now, before I really get started.
"Year of No Garbage" is a very interesting concept, the author and her family set out to avoid accumulating garbage for a year (although, it's clear pretty early that this is very much a matter of definition - but no shade on them for that, to really not produce garbage is essentially impossible in a modern society, even if we exclude compostable food waste). The author also checks off some very interesting - if somewhat much-repeated - garbage related statistics, and does a good job accounting for how difficult it is to find out what materials of various kinds are actually made of.
The style of writing though... it grated my mind to the point that I was losing enamel from all the teeth-grinding and had to stop roughly half way through the book (so I guess it could have gotten better). What was clear at that point of the book though, was that it had pivoted somewhat and honed in specifically on the evils of plastics.
But I'll move on. I think that part of my issue with this book is what might just make it a perfect first read on the topics for some - so I do not want to put you off of the book if it sounds at all interesting to you.
It's all very much basic stuff (other than when the author goes on a side-track to find out exactly what on particular thing or another contains and why it can or can't be recycled, but that's hardly feasible for everyone to pursue either), and some of the "difficult" personal hurdles the Schaub comes across are things I (and mostly whole populations in other, non-U.S. parts of the world too) have been doing for ages. So the book just failed to connect with me. The same is true for a lot of the "mind-blowing" facts; they're mind-blowing, true, but they're also common knowledge to anyone who has any amount of insights with them before opening this book. I know that entry-level books are essential, and I know that I might sound like a prick, but I can't help it. I really did not like this book.
And it's not like all of the message is unproblematic either. Single stream recycling, for example, is better than nothing but That. Is. It. It's terribly limiting. The author does not appear to understand that. There's also very little nuance to be found here; Plastic=evil seems to pretty much sum up the argument. Now, I'm not a fan of plastics per se and do not think they should be used willy-nilly just because, but I do want to make sure that we don't replace them with something worse or equally bad for the environment. And plastic definitely has its uses in ways that are very difficult to replace for lower environmental and emission perspectives.
I'm going to stop this rant now, before I really get started.
May 17, 2023
I sped read this book. I was so curious what she would find and how she would do it. And wondered if there would be any good tips on reducing waste.
I so appreciate the journey Eve and her family took and her sharing it with us. She uncovered so much of the lies, the devastation.. and man it can feel so disheartening to think about. As she found, living without garbage (ahem.. plastics) frankly isn’t possible in our day. She even tried to do a day without touching anything plastic and found she couldn’t do really anything all day. She did have some interesting solutions, surprisingly I’ve either found some of my own solutions or “compromises” as I’ve wrestled with these thoughts over the last few years.
This book was humorous, informative, honest, and while somewhat depressing, also inspiring.
I so appreciate the journey Eve and her family took and her sharing it with us. She uncovered so much of the lies, the devastation.. and man it can feel so disheartening to think about. As she found, living without garbage (ahem.. plastics) frankly isn’t possible in our day. She even tried to do a day without touching anything plastic and found she couldn’t do really anything all day. She did have some interesting solutions, surprisingly I’ve either found some of my own solutions or “compromises” as I’ve wrestled with these thoughts over the last few years.
This book was humorous, informative, honest, and while somewhat depressing, also inspiring.
May 21, 2023
I highly enjoyed this woman's journey to transform her family into one of those "zero waste" lifestyle families. It was an honest, self-deprecating look at that crazy lengths we have to go to in our society if we want to avoid creating trash that lives forever in the landfill.
Unlike a lot of the lifestyle bloggers, Eve O. Schaub doesn't sugarcoat the realities; there is no recycling most of that plastic! And there's no way to avoid a lot of the plastic coming into our lives. because it's too pervasive in our economy. But she kept trying, and it was a fascinating read.
Unlike a lot of the lifestyle bloggers, Eve O. Schaub doesn't sugarcoat the realities; there is no recycling most of that plastic! And there's no way to avoid a lot of the plastic coming into our lives. because it's too pervasive in our economy. But she kept trying, and it was a fascinating read.
May 14, 2025
I was curious to see whether this book had much new information for me, as I thought, similar to the author, that I already know a lot about recycling and waste management. I thought it a momentous and arduous task they took on as a family not to produce any general waste during one year. I am aware the situation in the US may be different to Europe, but this book made me well angry. I know plastic is very ubiquitous in our everyday lives and her one day experiment of not touching anything made of plastic really highlighted how it is literally everywhere. I am angry that the choices to have less plastic in one's life is largely taken away from the individual, as plastic free alternatives are hard to come by. Greenwashing is bringing in lots of money from the more conscientious consumer whilst still adding to the overconsumption and plastics that have nowhere to go issues. The standards of overpackaging and even in the paper cardboard there are often plastics in it.
Highly disconcerting is the fact that microplastics are everywhere around and inside us. How can the industry continue producing plastic at increasing rates without worrying for their own health at all? How much money does one have to make to realise they can't buy themselves a new body? Or a new world??
So, I definitely learned more about plastics, rubbish, and to be critical of any buzzwords on marketing to appeal to the green minded people. Look deeper, ask questions, and I guess at the end of the day, buy local and loose items if possible. Reduce, reuse, recycle, but also, plastic can only be downcycled and will still end up in the oceans, and inside humans. I'll be looking for a glass bottle for my water, thank you!
Highly disconcerting is the fact that microplastics are everywhere around and inside us. How can the industry continue producing plastic at increasing rates without worrying for their own health at all? How much money does one have to make to realise they can't buy themselves a new body? Or a new world??
So, I definitely learned more about plastics, rubbish, and to be critical of any buzzwords on marketing to appeal to the green minded people. Look deeper, ask questions, and I guess at the end of the day, buy local and loose items if possible. Reduce, reuse, recycle, but also, plastic can only be downcycled and will still end up in the oceans, and inside humans. I'll be looking for a glass bottle for my water, thank you!
February 17, 2023
I loved Year of No Sugar by Schaub even though I'm not aspiring to the goal. However, Year of No Garbage had me intrigued. I learned there's a small problem.
This is impossible in the lives we live. And Schaub doesn't skirt over that fact. Don't let the title fool you -- this isn't a mission to convert people to live without trash. It's more of a commentary on just how difficult no garbage accumulation is. It's damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to recycling and reusing. Our government's lack of common sense regulation and the costs of recycling stands in the way of our mission to better this Earth. Many plastics (there are over thousands of types Schaub educates us, cannot be recycled). And that's plain sad.
Well researched and thought out. And that's not garbage talk.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access.
This is impossible in the lives we live. And Schaub doesn't skirt over that fact. Don't let the title fool you -- this isn't a mission to convert people to live without trash. It's more of a commentary on just how difficult no garbage accumulation is. It's damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to recycling and reusing. Our government's lack of common sense regulation and the costs of recycling stands in the way of our mission to better this Earth. Many plastics (there are over thousands of types Schaub educates us, cannot be recycled). And that's plain sad.
Well researched and thought out. And that's not garbage talk.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access.
January 27, 2025
This book was an absolute mindf*ck, and I think it radicalized me on plastic. I was getting there already to an extent, but Schaub makes the scale, severity, and impact of the problem more palpable than most other things I've seen or read. If you aren't terrified of plastic - and angry at our government for allowing it to become and remain so ubiquitous in modern life - you should read this book and become so.
February 18, 2025
I really liked this book and her narration reminded me of Mary Roach’s nonfiction. I will never look at plastic the same way. I did like how she gave practical guidance and wake up calls. I think this book is so timely with Trump’s recall of plastic straws into federal buildings. You think it’s just a silly preference but it trickles down to his support of oil and fracking.
I think everyone should read this book.
I think everyone should read this book.
May 14, 2025
4.25 ⭐️
You’re telling me we exist on this beautiful, miracle of a blip in space and we choose to ruin it- to slowly kill ourselves?!
Incredibly eye-opening. Plastic is bad - but I didn’t absorb how EVIL plastic is. And sometimes it feels hopeless to know how broken our recycling systems really are and that big corporations that can make environmentally friendly changes won’t because of consumerism and capitalism.
You’re telling me we exist on this beautiful, miracle of a blip in space and we choose to ruin it- to slowly kill ourselves?!
Incredibly eye-opening. Plastic is bad - but I didn’t absorb how EVIL plastic is. And sometimes it feels hopeless to know how broken our recycling systems really are and that big corporations that can make environmentally friendly changes won’t because of consumerism and capitalism.
June 29, 2023
This was a shocking unveiling of the author’s journey of living zero waste and America’s literal dirty secret. After reading this (audiobook was very entertaining) I feel like I need a shower and I am left with a strong desire to figure out how I can reduce my garbage while living in an apartment, working full time, and supporting family.
August 10, 2023
Hi Linh and Amy! This one is a must read if you give anything more than zero fucks about the climate. Cliffnotes version: plastics bad, most recycling actually ends up in landfills, we are ingesting an insane amount of plastic, you can and should try to reduce your intake of plastic to make an impact (best) instead of worrying about reusing a plastic target bag (better) or recycling (good).
January 17, 2024
This is going to stick with me for a long time.
If you're interested in reducing your trash output, I think you should read this. It has great information about how to reduce garbage on a personal level but it also asks really important questions about how recycling works and is it even set up for the individual to be able to use it effectively.
If you're interested in reducing your trash output, I think you should read this. It has great information about how to reduce garbage on a personal level but it also asks really important questions about how recycling works and is it even set up for the individual to be able to use it effectively.
November 1, 2025
I’ve always strangely enjoyed reading about garbage and where it goes. This book about Eve’s challenge to create no garbage for a year was thoughtful, funny, and eye opening to the reality of our North American lifestyle and its effect on our health and environment. I blew through this one, highly recommend!
June 17, 2023
Trash is America's number one export.
Ocean garbage patches now occupy 40 percent of our oceans.
By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
Plastics do not break down or go away, ever.
Plastics are in our air, water and food.
Ocean garbage patches now occupy 40 percent of our oceans.
By 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
Plastics do not break down or go away, ever.
Plastics are in our air, water and food.
April 22, 2025
This book is so good. I love being educated on everyday life stuff. Plastics impact almost every moment of our life and I'm saddened by the environmental devastation it has ☹️ there are tons and tons of helpful tips in this book and things we never think about that was an eye opener for me. This is the 2nd book of hers that I've read and loved, and I will be reading the other (Year of No Sugar)!
March 28, 2023
I found Year of No Garbage by Eve O. Schaub to be a very accessible and informative book that explored the recycling and garbage disposal systems in the US.
The set up of the book is to follow Eve and her family as they seek to eliminate their garbage for a full year. Because of this set up, I found the information and tone of the novel to be very approachable. Since Eve wasn't already an expert on these topics, the reader was able to follow along in her process of encountering various items that she would normally throw away and finding a way to reuse or recycle rather than trash them. I found Eve's voice throughout the book to be entertaining despite the serious topic, which I think is important for reaching a wider audience with this type of important education.
I learned a lot from the book, and I think it was an entertaining and important read. I also loved how Eve was reasonable in her measures to reduce garbage and plastic use (for example: she drew a line at using reusable, washable toilet "paper" and rather went with a sustainable bamboo option instead). Many of her measures felt manageable and easy to implement.
The book was a downer, particularly by the end when you've learned that there is no great solution in the current climate. However, I appreciated Schaub's willingness to turn towards optimism to encourage people to make positive change while not shying away from the realities of the situation.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book, and I'm interested in checking out Schaub's other books!
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions!
The set up of the book is to follow Eve and her family as they seek to eliminate their garbage for a full year. Because of this set up, I found the information and tone of the novel to be very approachable. Since Eve wasn't already an expert on these topics, the reader was able to follow along in her process of encountering various items that she would normally throw away and finding a way to reuse or recycle rather than trash them. I found Eve's voice throughout the book to be entertaining despite the serious topic, which I think is important for reaching a wider audience with this type of important education.
I learned a lot from the book, and I think it was an entertaining and important read. I also loved how Eve was reasonable in her measures to reduce garbage and plastic use (for example: she drew a line at using reusable, washable toilet "paper" and rather went with a sustainable bamboo option instead). Many of her measures felt manageable and easy to implement.
The book was a downer, particularly by the end when you've learned that there is no great solution in the current climate. However, I appreciated Schaub's willingness to turn towards optimism to encourage people to make positive change while not shying away from the realities of the situation.
Overall I would definitely recommend this book, and I'm interested in checking out Schaub's other books!
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinions!
March 22, 2023
I've previously read 'Year of No Clutter' Shaub's second book, and loved it. So I was really happy to be able to read the digital ARC for this book.
I really enjoyed it. I think that Schaub is a really funny writer, and I can really feel her wins, her frustrations and others emotions through the pages.
I've read soo many books about about low-impact/zero waste living by people that make their whole careers around the topic. I definitely learnt more on the topic of recycling from this book than most. Also this book doesn't waste pages giving instructions on how to make DIY cleaners, or moisturizers (a personal pet peeve of every low waste book).
I would definitely recommend if you are interested in reading a relatable experience of someone trying to reduce their waste and learn a bit more about the whole waste system at the same time.
I really enjoyed it. I think that Schaub is a really funny writer, and I can really feel her wins, her frustrations and others emotions through the pages.
I've read soo many books about about low-impact/zero waste living by people that make their whole careers around the topic. I definitely learnt more on the topic of recycling from this book than most. Also this book doesn't waste pages giving instructions on how to make DIY cleaners, or moisturizers (a personal pet peeve of every low waste book).
I would definitely recommend if you are interested in reading a relatable experience of someone trying to reduce their waste and learn a bit more about the whole waste system at the same time.
February 17, 2023
Year of No Garbage documents Schaub and her family's attempt at living in modern America without creating any landfill trash (basically her focus is on not throwing out any plastic waste whatsoever) for a year. I was particularly interested in the fact that this experiment coincided with the COVID lockdowns, so it also explores living waste free during a pandemic. For obvious reasons the book takes a US-centric approach.
I was impressed at the depth of research in this book. It's immensely depressing as a read, but also incredibly eye-opening. I have so much respect for the author for making it clear personal actions are simply not enough. I think a lot of aesthetic zero wasters online over-emphasise individual importance, and never mention that solutions need to come at government level, through legislation to curb the fossil fuel industries. I thought it was excellent how the author takes the time to explore the intersections of racism, poverty, and health inequality embedded in the plastic waste issue. This is definitely a book worth reading.
I do have a criticism, which is that the author seemed to sneer at veganism quite a few times, seemingly because "but I could never live without cheese". My understanding is that after flying and having fewer or no children, going vegan is right up there among the most impactful things any individual can do to contribute to not worsening the climate crisis. So I didn't like how the author falls into that common trap of zero wasters who aren't vegan acting like buying zero waste alternatives "off-sets" their meat consumption. It doesn't. With that said, I think the most powerful line in the book is "the most environmentally friendly purchase is the one you don't make." Good stuff.
I am grateful to have received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I was impressed at the depth of research in this book. It's immensely depressing as a read, but also incredibly eye-opening. I have so much respect for the author for making it clear personal actions are simply not enough. I think a lot of aesthetic zero wasters online over-emphasise individual importance, and never mention that solutions need to come at government level, through legislation to curb the fossil fuel industries. I thought it was excellent how the author takes the time to explore the intersections of racism, poverty, and health inequality embedded in the plastic waste issue. This is definitely a book worth reading.
I do have a criticism, which is that the author seemed to sneer at veganism quite a few times, seemingly because "but I could never live without cheese". My understanding is that after flying and having fewer or no children, going vegan is right up there among the most impactful things any individual can do to contribute to not worsening the climate crisis. So I didn't like how the author falls into that common trap of zero wasters who aren't vegan acting like buying zero waste alternatives "off-sets" their meat consumption. It doesn't. With that said, I think the most powerful line in the book is "the most environmentally friendly purchase is the one you don't make." Good stuff.
I am grateful to have received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
August 8, 2023
Gives tea on plastics in a relatable, almost addictive way. Think Clarkson's Farm or any other reality TV shenanigans, but with all-American units of measurement like "an elephant's worth of trash". It's surprisingly thorough for how accessible it is, and is an easy starting point for those who "knew ABOUT it but didn't KNOW it".
Even those who "KNOW it" might benefit from a cohesive story to remind us why things like recycling and composting live in a higher dimension than individual responsibility can account for alone. Or at the least, from having a resource to direct any curious spectators while protecting their own mental space.
Schaub's narrative, if you're into it, programs the mind better than any summary can. The niche exists, the need is there, and this delivers without overpromising.
Even those who "KNOW it" might benefit from a cohesive story to remind us why things like recycling and composting live in a higher dimension than individual responsibility can account for alone. Or at the least, from having a resource to direct any curious spectators while protecting their own mental space.
Schaub's narrative, if you're into it, programs the mind better than any summary can. The niche exists, the need is there, and this delivers without overpromising.
January 1, 2024
Stunning. Also, horrifying. I loved reading this book and learned so much in these pages. It opened my eyes—taught me to see things for what they are and approach life more thoughtfully. Schaub is witty and brilliant as she tackles this heavy topic. Admittedly, garbage is an unusual topic for a memoir, but as far as memoirs go, this one is one of my favorites.
In this book, Schaub recounts her family’s zero waste attempt and shares the many obstacles that she encountered along the way. It sounds discouraging to put it like that, but honestly, I felt so encouraged and empowered as I read this book. As someone who cares deeply about being responsible with the piece of earth that I call mine, Schaub’s transparency and humor felt welcoming and familial.
I know going waste free isn’t something everyone cares about, but this book does a lot of the heavy lifting and provides some practical ideas for how to reduce your waste and look for solutions. Of course, it is primarily a memoir, but I had so many takeaways. This book is a gem, and I hope so many people read it and take action.
Thank you to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing, and Eve O. Schaub for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a review. I loved it.
In this book, Schaub recounts her family’s zero waste attempt and shares the many obstacles that she encountered along the way. It sounds discouraging to put it like that, but honestly, I felt so encouraged and empowered as I read this book. As someone who cares deeply about being responsible with the piece of earth that I call mine, Schaub’s transparency and humor felt welcoming and familial.
I know going waste free isn’t something everyone cares about, but this book does a lot of the heavy lifting and provides some practical ideas for how to reduce your waste and look for solutions. Of course, it is primarily a memoir, but I had so many takeaways. This book is a gem, and I hope so many people read it and take action.
Thank you to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing, and Eve O. Schaub for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for a review. I loved it.
May 20, 2024
"Most paper coffee cups have a plastic polyethylene interior coating, rendering them unrecyclable, not compostable, and a source of microplastics that slough off and mix with your drink when the hot liquid is added. They are evil and should be sent directly to hell where they belong." p. 14
"'Throwing things away' is a human strategy that involves a willful suspension of disbelief that such a thing is possible on a planet that is round and finite. Because of course garbage doesn't 'go away,' it just goes somewhere else. This may be okay with you, unless you happen to live in the neighborhood of the landfill. Then again, at the rate we're going the landfill will soon be in everybody's neighborhood. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now twice the size of Texas. Ocean garbage patches now take up more surface area on earth than land." p. 49
"Recycling in this country isn't supposed to actually work. Recycling is broken. And maybe, just maybe, companies like it that way." p. 101
"We know that there are literally tens of thousands of different, often patented and proprietary, formulas for different plastics, each with its own unique, often secret cocktail of chemical additives. What you may not know is that, legally, all of them are considered 'innocent until proven guilty' or rather, safe until proven harmful. Harmful, since modern life is something of a chemical soup we all swim in, is extraordinarily difficult to prove." p. 104
"Plastic is not really recyclable...Plastics do not break down-- or go away-- ever...There aren't seven kinds of plastic as recycling symbols indicate; there are tens of thousands, all largely untested for effects on human health." 163
"Unlike glass and metal, which can be recycled infinitely, even genuinely 'recyclable' plastics can only be re-formed one or maybe two times before the chemical composition degrades to the point of being utterly unusable. They will just fall apart. Then what? I bet you can guess! They go to sit in the landfill for eternity or create toxic fumes and ash as they are burned up in an incinerator." p. 164
"If 'recycling' of plastic is really just toxic downcycling, why complain that more plastics aren't being recycled? Well, firstly, because I don't like being lied to. Secondly, if people mistakenly think that all these different types of plastics are being recycled in a responsible way, they're much less likely to change their behavior, or buy products in a different container, or look for alternative solutions." p. 168
"The reason plastics are projected to triple by 2050 isn't because we need more plastic. It's because the fossil fuel industry sees the writing on the wall: electric cars, renewable energy sources. As the demand for fossil fuel falls, what will these enormous petrochemical companies focus on in order to make up the shortfall? Plastic. That is why so many products which used to come in glass, cardboard, and paper now come in plastic. p. 183
"Today's generation of children is the first in modern history predicted to have shorter life spans than their parents." p. 193
"No more pledges and promises. Instead, lets return to an idea we've discussed earlier: extended producer responsibility (EPR). This is a system by which companies are required to manage the waste generated by their product, rather than pawning that job off on their customers. It already exists in some industries. Think: tire, car battery, and paint take-back programs. Taxpayers need to understand that when companies aren't responsible for 'end-of-life' for their products and packaging, we foot the bill instead, through landfill and incineration costs, or cleanup costs to remove it from the landscape and the ocean. We pay with the environment, and we pay with our bodies. So here's my Wild Idea Number One: If you make toxic pieces of shit, you should have to deal with those toxic pieces of shit. By law. Wild Idea Number Two: Make anything that is not genuinely recyclable or compostable in all fifty states illegal to make or sell." p. 223-224
"We can change public health policy, even when powerful economic and political forces are at work, even when a material is so entrenched that it seems we're never going to be able to stop using it. We did it with lead. We can do it with plastic." p. 235
"'Throwing things away' is a human strategy that involves a willful suspension of disbelief that such a thing is possible on a planet that is round and finite. Because of course garbage doesn't 'go away,' it just goes somewhere else. This may be okay with you, unless you happen to live in the neighborhood of the landfill. Then again, at the rate we're going the landfill will soon be in everybody's neighborhood. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now twice the size of Texas. Ocean garbage patches now take up more surface area on earth than land." p. 49
"Recycling in this country isn't supposed to actually work. Recycling is broken. And maybe, just maybe, companies like it that way." p. 101
"We know that there are literally tens of thousands of different, often patented and proprietary, formulas for different plastics, each with its own unique, often secret cocktail of chemical additives. What you may not know is that, legally, all of them are considered 'innocent until proven guilty' or rather, safe until proven harmful. Harmful, since modern life is something of a chemical soup we all swim in, is extraordinarily difficult to prove." p. 104
"Plastic is not really recyclable...Plastics do not break down-- or go away-- ever...There aren't seven kinds of plastic as recycling symbols indicate; there are tens of thousands, all largely untested for effects on human health." 163
"Unlike glass and metal, which can be recycled infinitely, even genuinely 'recyclable' plastics can only be re-formed one or maybe two times before the chemical composition degrades to the point of being utterly unusable. They will just fall apart. Then what? I bet you can guess! They go to sit in the landfill for eternity or create toxic fumes and ash as they are burned up in an incinerator." p. 164
"If 'recycling' of plastic is really just toxic downcycling, why complain that more plastics aren't being recycled? Well, firstly, because I don't like being lied to. Secondly, if people mistakenly think that all these different types of plastics are being recycled in a responsible way, they're much less likely to change their behavior, or buy products in a different container, or look for alternative solutions." p. 168
"The reason plastics are projected to triple by 2050 isn't because we need more plastic. It's because the fossil fuel industry sees the writing on the wall: electric cars, renewable energy sources. As the demand for fossil fuel falls, what will these enormous petrochemical companies focus on in order to make up the shortfall? Plastic. That is why so many products which used to come in glass, cardboard, and paper now come in plastic. p. 183
"Today's generation of children is the first in modern history predicted to have shorter life spans than their parents." p. 193
"No more pledges and promises. Instead, lets return to an idea we've discussed earlier: extended producer responsibility (EPR). This is a system by which companies are required to manage the waste generated by their product, rather than pawning that job off on their customers. It already exists in some industries. Think: tire, car battery, and paint take-back programs. Taxpayers need to understand that when companies aren't responsible for 'end-of-life' for their products and packaging, we foot the bill instead, through landfill and incineration costs, or cleanup costs to remove it from the landscape and the ocean. We pay with the environment, and we pay with our bodies. So here's my Wild Idea Number One: If you make toxic pieces of shit, you should have to deal with those toxic pieces of shit. By law. Wild Idea Number Two: Make anything that is not genuinely recyclable or compostable in all fifty states illegal to make or sell." p. 223-224
"We can change public health policy, even when powerful economic and political forces are at work, even when a material is so entrenched that it seems we're never going to be able to stop using it. We did it with lead. We can do it with plastic." p. 235
April 8, 2023
Realistic Look At The Practical Side Of Trying To Eliminate Household Garbage. I intentionally read this book immediately after reading Wasteland by Oliver Franklin-Wallis (which is scheduled to release about two months after this book), and the convergences and divergences were quite interesting. Franklin-Wallis' text is absolutely the better, more well-rounded, guide to almost the entirety of the overall waste problem around the world, and is has nearly triple the overall percentage of the text as bibliography - indicating *far* more actual research and documentation. This is actually the first star deduction - the lack of bibliography. Perhaps more excusable in a more memoir-based book such as this, but even among memoirs, getting closer to that 20% range on documentation is more typical in my own experience with reading Advance Reviewer Copies of these types of books.
But where *this* text stands out is in just how *practical* it is. Schaub is apparently effectively a performance artist whose medium is memoirs, and she has to learn quite a bit along the way and ask a *lot* of questions of people that I'm honestly not sure Joe Blow (who can't say that he is working on a memoir) would ever have actual access to. But even outside of all the questions Schaub asks of various waste industry professionals and activists, she has to wrestle with the day to day realities of truly trying to eliminate 100% of her family's trash - for an entire year. A year which turned out to be 2020, and thus involve the worst parts of the global collapse and home imprisonment. Which is where the star deduction comes in, as I DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT COVID. Yes, even in 2023.
Nevertheless, the challenges Schaub had to surmount were indeed quite formidable, and in the end she learned a hard fought, depressing for some, lesson: Ultimately, eliminating 100% of garbage cannot currently be done in modern society. *Perhaps* as a true Homesteader/ Survivalist - which Schaub is not and therefore did not test -, but for the vast majority of those living in the modern, Western-ish society, it simply cannot be done.
Read the book to see how close Schaub and her family got and all the trials and travails they had to go through to get there. Schaub writes in a fashion that comes across as both no-nonsense and humorous, and the tale reads well because of this. Her ultimate recommendations... let's just go with "Your Mileage May Vary" on. If you're a avowed environmentalist fan of Bernie Sanders... you're probably going to like a lot of them, perhaps all of them. The further away from that archetype you are, the less you're likely to agree with her recommendations.
Still, regardless of where you think you'll land on her recommendations - and thus, how much you'll want to throw this book on the nearest trash heap, pour gallons of gas all over it, and light it up (even if it is on your Kindle) -, read this book to see just how hard it is to eliminate household garbage in the US, and perhaps start thinking about some possible solutions for your family or possibly policy solutions for your local community, your state, and/ or your nation that more align with your own principles.
Overall, this book is very much recommended.
But where *this* text stands out is in just how *practical* it is. Schaub is apparently effectively a performance artist whose medium is memoirs, and she has to learn quite a bit along the way and ask a *lot* of questions of people that I'm honestly not sure Joe Blow (who can't say that he is working on a memoir) would ever have actual access to. But even outside of all the questions Schaub asks of various waste industry professionals and activists, she has to wrestle with the day to day realities of truly trying to eliminate 100% of her family's trash - for an entire year. A year which turned out to be 2020, and thus involve the worst parts of the global collapse and home imprisonment. Which is where the star deduction comes in, as I DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT COVID. Yes, even in 2023.
Nevertheless, the challenges Schaub had to surmount were indeed quite formidable, and in the end she learned a hard fought, depressing for some, lesson: Ultimately, eliminating 100% of garbage cannot currently be done in modern society. *Perhaps* as a true Homesteader/ Survivalist - which Schaub is not and therefore did not test -, but for the vast majority of those living in the modern, Western-ish society, it simply cannot be done.
Read the book to see how close Schaub and her family got and all the trials and travails they had to go through to get there. Schaub writes in a fashion that comes across as both no-nonsense and humorous, and the tale reads well because of this. Her ultimate recommendations... let's just go with "Your Mileage May Vary" on. If you're a avowed environmentalist fan of Bernie Sanders... you're probably going to like a lot of them, perhaps all of them. The further away from that archetype you are, the less you're likely to agree with her recommendations.
Still, regardless of where you think you'll land on her recommendations - and thus, how much you'll want to throw this book on the nearest trash heap, pour gallons of gas all over it, and light it up (even if it is on your Kindle) -, read this book to see just how hard it is to eliminate household garbage in the US, and perhaps start thinking about some possible solutions for your family or possibly policy solutions for your local community, your state, and/ or your nation that more align with your own principles.
Overall, this book is very much recommended.
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