Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, and Why It Matters
Oliver Franklin-Wallis
Jun 2023 · Simon and Schuster · Narrated by Chris Harper
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11 hr 1 min
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A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK
ONE OF THE NEW YORKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023
INCLUDED IN THE GUARDIAN'S BEST IDEAS BOOKS OF 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING
‘A gripping read that will anger as much as it fascinates’ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
‘An incredible journey into the world of rubbish, full of fascinating characters and mind-bending facts’ Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland
‘Urgent, probing and endlessly interesting’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment
'There are stories in all our discarded things: who made them, what they meant to a person before they were thrown away. In the end, it all ends up in the same place – the endless ingenuity of humanity in one filthy, fascinating mass.'
When we throw things ‘away’, what does that actually mean? Where does it go, and who deals with it when it gets there? In Wasteland, award-winning journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis takes us on an eye-opening journey through the global waste industry. From the mountainous landfills of New Delhi to Britain’s overflowing sewers, from hollowed-out mining towns in the USA to Ghana’s flooded second-hand markets, we meet the people on the frontline of our waste crisis – both those being exploited, and those determined to make a difference. On the way, we discover the corporate greenwashing that started the recycling movement; the dark truth behind our second-hand donations; and come face to face with the 10,000-year legacy of our nuclear waste.
Both shocking and hopeful, Wasteland is the timely and ultimately human story at the heart of an urgent global issue.
ONE OF THE NEW YORKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023
INCLUDED IN THE GUARDIAN'S BEST IDEAS BOOKS OF 2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR CONSERVATION WRITING
‘A gripping read that will anger as much as it fascinates’ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
‘An incredible journey into the world of rubbish, full of fascinating characters and mind-bending facts’ Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland
‘Urgent, probing and endlessly interesting’ Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment
'There are stories in all our discarded things: who made them, what they meant to a person before they were thrown away. In the end, it all ends up in the same place – the endless ingenuity of humanity in one filthy, fascinating mass.'
When we throw things ‘away’, what does that actually mean? Where does it go, and who deals with it when it gets there? In Wasteland, award-winning journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis takes us on an eye-opening journey through the global waste industry. From the mountainous landfills of New Delhi to Britain’s overflowing sewers, from hollowed-out mining towns in the USA to Ghana’s flooded second-hand markets, we meet the people on the frontline of our waste crisis – both those being exploited, and those determined to make a difference. On the way, we discover the corporate greenwashing that started the recycling movement; the dark truth behind our second-hand donations; and come face to face with the 10,000-year legacy of our nuclear waste.
Both shocking and hopeful, Wasteland is the timely and ultimately human story at the heart of an urgent global issue.
About the author
Oliver Franklin-Wallis is an award-winning magazine journalist, whose writing has appeared in GQ, WIRED, The Guardian, the New York Times, The Times Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, The Economist’s 1843 magazine, and many other publications. He is currently the features editor of British GQ.
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