Abstract

Garbage Crisis 1 The "Garbage Crisis" and the Weight of History Martin V. Melosi ARBAGE,trash,rubbish,offal,refuse,junk,debris, clut- ter, litter, rejectamenta. Solid waste goes by many names. In the natural world, waste is simply part of the life cycle; it is a substance returned to the physical environment merely in a different form. In human civilization, waste has an entirely different role and connotation.'While humans are not alone in waste-making, they are the only species which passes judgment on it. In his bookRubhish Theory, Michael Thompson identifies three categories of objects: the "durable" object which increases in value over time, such as a fine piece of furniture or a painting; the "transient" object which decreases in value over time and has a finite life span, like a toaster or a television; and "rubbish" which has "zero and unchanging value" and usually does not disappear, but "continues to exist in a timeless and valueless limbo" (7-9). Ironically, these categories of objects can be remarkably elastic. To some, the Edsel was a colossal mistake which has rightly found its place in obscure scrap heaps to be melted down and recast. To others, the car is a work of art which should be preserved