The Life of Garbage

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.

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.