Resisting Garbage

"Lily Pollans's Resisting Garbage presents a new theory for understanding practices of waste removal and recycling in American cities, one that is grounded in the close observation of case studies but broadly applicable to many American cities today. The first part of the manuscript delineates the contours of current waste practices, and in particular the evolution of what Pollans calls the "weak recycling waste regime" of the United States. This "regime," which currently dominates American cities, "prioritizes hygiene, sanitation, and efficiency," is defined by unregulated consumption and…