One man's trash is another man's treasure. A study of how waste is conceptualised, perceived and handled. Case study of Mumbai, India.
Author
Summary, in English
Where there are humans there is also waste.
When studying archaeology waste is one of the most important objects to analyse. In our society waste is however far from treasured, or is it? Sweden imports more waste than it produces and turns it into energy. The density of minerals is higher in landfills than at its original source with waste being transported all over the world there is a seemingly never ending business.
But let’s leave the larger scale for a second and go down to where the real work is being done. All over the world millions of people make their living from picking, sorting and recycling waste. What happens on lowest level where people are struggling to survive every day and the only mean of survival is picking up and selling trash? The same trash that the middle and upper class gladly disregarded as worthless and foul is now being transformed into something of value.
The road a product takes from resource to final product to waste to resource again is full of emotions, morale, perspectives. Nothing is neutral in this world and nothing, absolutely nothing, is without value.
When studying archaeology waste is one of the most important objects to analyse. In our society waste is however far from treasured, or is it? Sweden imports more waste than it produces and turns it into energy. The density of minerals is higher in landfills than at its original source with waste being transported all over the world there is a seemingly never ending business.
But let’s leave the larger scale for a second and go down to where the real work is being done. All over the world millions of people make their living from picking, sorting and recycling waste. What happens on lowest level where people are struggling to survive every day and the only mean of survival is picking up and selling trash? The same trash that the middle and upper class gladly disregarded as worthless and foul is now being transformed into something of value.
The road a product takes from resource to final product to waste to resource again is full of emotions, morale, perspectives. Nothing is neutral in this world and nothing, absolutely nothing, is without value.
Department/s
Publishing year
2015
Language
English
Full text
Document type
Student publication for Master's degree (two years)
Topic
- Social Sciences
Keywords
- Waste
- Integrated Waste Management
- Mumbai
- intersectional analysis
- dehumanisation
- inclusion/exclusion
- power dynamics
- transformations.
Supervisor
- Pernille Gooch