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  1. Books
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4.3(7)

Wasteland : The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, and Why It Matters

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.


Author:

  • Oliver Franklin-Wallis

Narrator:

  • Chris Harper

Format:

  • Audiobook
  • E-book

Duration:

  • 11 h 1 min
  • 304 pages

Language:

English

Categories:

  • Natural sciences
  • Technology
  • Climate, nature, and animals
  • Climate and geography

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  • 2 books

    Oliver Franklin-Wallis

    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.

    Read more

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Excellent4.3 out of 5