The Life of Garbage

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Science writer Elizabeth Royte began a massive year-long project cataloging the items thrown away by her family of three.  She followed the trash, recycling and everything that was disposed of, to see where it finally ended up.  She uncovers the final resting place of our garbage, shares her views about composting and the realities of a “zero waste” society.

Elizabeth Royte is the author of Garbage Land:  On the Secret Trail of Trash, and has written for the New York Times Magazine, Harper's, National Geographic, the New York Times Book Review, the New Yorker, Outside, Smithsonian, and other national magazines.
You can read more of Royte's “garbage scraps” on her blog at PBS's website Borders.

Garbage Facts:

-An average of 4.5 pounds of garbage are generated per person per day.  (1.31 tons per year)
-From that 1.31 tons of garbage, 30% is recycled or composted, 13% incinerated, and 57% buried.