Gone Tomorrow: the Hidden Life of Garbage
Heather Rogers

A history and analysis of the main channels of the waste stream - hauling, dumping, landfilling - and the reasons why we generate so much of it in the first place. Garbage is a fairly new invention, connected with mass production of things made out of paper, plastic, metal, and glass. In the last 30 years, Americans have doubled the amount of trash we collectively generate, and now packaging � not even really a product itself - takes up around 30% of landfill space. The author also argues that while recycling makes us feel better, the majority of the contents of those carefully sorted curbside bins ends up in landfills anyways. And making us feel better about our waste, even if it involves donations to Goodwill, actually supports and sustains our consuming behavior, rather than addressing it. Heather Rogers spoke at the CLUI as an Independent Interpreter in 2007.

New Press, 2005, paperback, 228 pages.

Also available: Heather Rogers' documentary in DVD format, Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage.