Analysis of Two Articles on Trash Disposal

First I will summarize an excerpt out of Heather Roger's essay, Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage published in 2005. Second I will summarize Lars Eighner essay On Dumpster Diving published in 1995. Our government needs to immediately enforce a set of strict standardized laws that carefully regulate and monitor the disposal of todays and more importantly tomorrow trash. I will argue that this is necessary for large corporations and businesses to deduce their consumption. Finally I will argue that we need to educate the public about the importance and need to restrict our consumption to secure our future.

Heather Roger's essay Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage offers a compelling outlook on society’s excessive and uneconomical mass-production of goods (585). Rogers explains the process in which our garbage and waste are collected, processed, and discarded (Roger 585). From your kitchen, to the curb, then into collection trucks, to the processing unit, where they separate, recycle, burn, compact, and deposit your garbage in our Earth (Roger 585). Roger quotes “… Dumps are comprised of a series of earth covered cells” (Rogers 586). Landfills have used “Cells” to burry trash for decades and today’s cells are lined with a special material preventing the trash from leaking into the ground and rainwater (Roger 586). A cell can be up to 100 acres across and up to hundred feet deep (586). It takes years to fill a cell and after the cell is full it is “capped” and covered over with several feet of dirt (586-587).

Not all trash finds its way to a landfill. I have acquired amazing treasures: perfectly good furniture and toys from curbsides and Dumpsters. My Grandfather always said “one man’s trash is another man’s treasu...

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...and greatest” mentality. Consumers throw away perfectly good food, electronics, etc. Society has conditioned to think objects and materials show wealth and stature. We are raised to except trash and garbage as anything that is be out dated, or slightly imperfect. High standards and expectations from relaters and consumers force us to buy excessively. If you don’t acquire these fancy popular gadgets then you are not living the normal state of living, giving the impression you can’t afford or poor. If one lacks the newest and coolest phone or gadget they are looked down on. This mentality is extremely toxic to our pockets and society. In conclusion it is crucial that we implement less damaging and toxic waste management disposal system.

Works Cited

Rosa Allfred and Paul Eschholz. Models for Writers: Short Essays for composition. 10th ed. Boston: Beford/87