SCIENCES

Everyone’s Trash: One Man Against 1.6 Billion Pounds

by Duncan Watson
Casemate. Nov. 2024. 160p. ISBN 9781942155775. $25. SCI
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Watson’s goal is to expand readers’ collective consciousness; he wants them to think about how they discard everything when they no longer want or need something, whether it’s by backyard composting or curbside disposal. He is a lifelong environmentalist with 32 years of experience managing a recycling facility in New Hampshire. His book is half memoir, half explanation of what happens to one’s discarded things. He illuminates both the economics and the politics involved in society’s current disposal processes. Some chapters tend to jump from topic to topic, and some subjects aren’t fully discussed, so those sections may confuse some readers or leave them with many questions. This is offset, however, by solid information, such as a chart of what can be composted in a regular backyard.
VERDICT This book usefully illustrates both the history and the current state of waste disposal in the U.S., but some parts are unfocused or seemingly cut short.
Reviewed by Marjorie Mann , Sep 13, 2024
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