Wasteland

April 15, 2023
When it comes to waste, out of sight is definitely not out of mind, as this book makes clear. Franklin-Wallis, features editor at British GQ, is interested in what happens to things after we throw them away, although the story inevitably becomes intertwined with his personal attempts to reduce his own output. The author chronicles his treks through sewer systems and visits to recycling plants, staggered by the size of the waste problem even while finding some reasons for optimism in changing social attitudes and practices. However, as he shows, most solutions seem to generate further problems. For example, he believed that using tote bags instead of plastic was environmentally responsible, until he learned that totes come with a sizable footprint. For decades, wealthy countries exported their waste to poorer countries, and although the practice has diminished, there is a painful legacy. Writing about his trips to India and Ghana, he shows us that they have waste problems of their own, many so massive they might be impossible to overcome. The most common ways to dispose of waste are to burn it, bury it, dump it into the ocean, or simply let it pile up. Of course, these "solutions" merely turn it into a problem for someone else. Franklin-Wallis wishes he could offer a sweeping solution, but he sees no easy fixes. He proposes legislation to require greater transparency from companies, which is a good idea but does not get to the core issue of waste being caused by overproduction, which in turn is tied to overconsumption. "The conclusion that I come to is laughably simple," he writes. "Buy less stuff. I recognize that this is not the most original idea, but there's something liberating in it." Is this sort of individual action the remedy? It's an essential part, perhaps, but it's not a satisfying answer. Nevertheless, the author gives readers much to ponder. A sturdy outline of the future of toxic chemicals, microplastics, and endless garbage.

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Starred review from April 17, 2023
Franklin-Wallis, an editor at GQ, debuts with an alarming exposé of how waste is handled around the world. Outlining the inequitable ways in which the world disposes of trash and sharing the stories of those affected, the author recounts his time climbing mountains of refuse with “waste pickers,” who make a living gathering recyclables from a Delhi landfill, and describes the work of an environmental scientist who oversees the site of a former Oklahoma town abandoned after toxic byproducts from nearby mines made it uninhabitable. Franklin-Wallis pays keen attention to how waste disposal intersects with social justice, as when he discusses how legal loopholes incentivize rich countries to export their recyclables to the global south, where they end up leaching chemicals from landfills, a practice known as “toxic colonialism.” A fierce critic of greenwashing, the author suggests that “compostable plastics” are mostly bunk and describes how some grocery stores incinerate the recyclables they collect from customers. Franklin-Wallis achieves the difficult feat of making an ostensibly mundane topic feel urgent, and the compassionate profiles effectively humanize a problem that’s massive in scope. Additionally, his proposed solutions are well considered, including suggestions to “make greenwashing illegal” and hold companies responsible for the waste they produce, no matter where it ends up. It’s a vital call to action.

June 1, 2023
In 2018, the World Bank found that the average U.S. resident generates 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of waste daily; in the UK, it's 1.1 kilograms (2.42 lbs). Despite modern sanitation, waste disposal has proven problematic the world over; rivers and oceans are polluted with plastic, while the burning and burial of waste leads to human health issues, including respiratory ailments and cancer. Oliver Franklin-Wallis, based in England, jumps feet first into this worldwide examination of how various countries handle waste, finding access even when governments or disposal companies shy away from media coverage. In New Delhi, for example, the Ghazipur landfill gathers collected detritus into an ever-growing mountain of trash, despite threats of catastrophic collapse. As Franklin-Wallis also addresses the successes and limitations of recycling, Wasteland is an all-encompassing journey into what we throw away. The author's penetrating insight into how we both create and are threatened by this garbage shows the striking connection between humanity and our planet.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.