This fascinating reference offers a unique take on recycling and trash, tracing the role of waste in public health, climate change, and sustainability around the world.

As the popularity of sustainability grows and climate change becomes an accepted reality, experts point to trash and waste as the link between environmental and public health. This detailed reference—one of the most comprehensive resources available on the subject—examines garbage disposal on a global level, from the history of waste management, to the rise of green movements and recycling programs, to the environmental problems caused by incineration and overflowing landfills. According to urban planning scholar Robert William Collin, accounting for waste will improve the chances for environmental protection, public health, and sustainability.

This country-by-country guide studies waste management practices and related topics from around the world, including garbage strikes in Italy, successful recycling programs in Switzerland, trash in the streets of India, and the garbage patch floating in the Pacific Ocean. Country entries cover a brief history of garbage disposal, current methods of removal, recycling, and waste management problems specific to the region. Additional content addresses air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, E-waste, and hazardous and nuclear wastes.