Rubbish!

It is from the discards of former civilizations that archaeologists have reconstructed most of what we know about the past, and it is through their examination of todays garbage that William Rathje and Cullen Murphy inform us of our present. Rubbish! is their witty and erudite investigation into all aspects of the phenomenon of garbage. Rathje and Murphy show what the study of garbage tells us about a populations demographics and buying habits. Along the way, they dispel the common myths about our garbage crisisabout fast-food packaging and disposable diapers, about biodegradable garbage and the acceleration of the average familys garbage output. They also suggest methods for dealing with the garbage that we do have.