In Defense of Garbage

(Hardback)

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This "other side of the story" aims to show how waste products contribute positively to the economy, and to place garbage in perspective when considering the total use of America's resources. Alexander comes to this subject with 40 years of experience in making and recycling disposable products and in studying litter and municipal waste issues. He sees the garbage crisis as a political, not a physical, problem and introduces a non-cash national solution. He deals with popular misconceptions about the quantity and growth of garbage, resource consumption, forest productivity, packaging, disposal taxes, landfills, incineration and recycling. Written for open-minded lay readers, policymakers, professionals and serious-minded students, this is an important contribution to the study of our current environmental situation. Alexander proposes that the problem does not necessarily lie with the quantity of our resources, population growth, affluence, or with space or pollution, but rather with politics, fear, and misinformation. Alexander offers a survey of the history of garbage, considers the quantity and contents of the waste, and provides us with ways to save our non-renewable resources. He also discusses the characteristics and products of our throwaway society, and covers the role of packaging, measures for source reduction, the promise and problems of recycling different types of material, biodegradation, compost and litter, and the collection and disposal of municipal solid waste.

Reviews

"A fascinating analysis of solid waste and litter by a twenty-five year student of the problem . . . filled with surprising concepts and data."-Roger Powers, President Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
"Judd Alexander takes a clear concise look at the garbage crisis with the eye of a businessman-environmentalist. The result is new perspectives and solutions to the garbage crisis and, surely, one of the best books on public policy that I have read in a long time. It is not to be missed by anyone who cares about change."-Thomas B. Morgan, President WNYC Communications Group and Former Editor, The Village Voice
"No person has labored longer on the issues of waste handling and disposal than Judd Alexander. His fine book cuts through a lot of the 'trash talk' in America and lets in the strong light of reason. This book should be read by everyone concerned with how we handle the detritus of modern society."-William D. Ruckelshaus, Chairman and CEO, Browning-Ferris Industries and Former Administrator the Environmental Protection Agency
"One voice which typically gets lost when solid waste issues are discussed is the voice of American Industry. Judd Alexander breaks the silence in a thoroughly documented book enriched by his decades of personal experiences. Not everyone will agree with In Defense of Garbage, but it provides constant suprises. This legitimate business perspective should be considered carefully by every policy planner or consumer who wants to find real solid waste solutions."-W. L. Rathje Professor of Anthropology, University of Arizona and author of Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage
.,."eminently readable, entertaining, and a very important statement about what grabage is, why it is important, who should care about it, and what is likely to happen in profligate societies. Alexander's industrial and academic experience together with his sprightly literary style informs, educates, and instructs the reader on the nature of waste, the disposal problem, the value of garbage, the impact of packaging in a throw-away society, the benefits of source reduction, the promise and problems of reclaiming and recycling, the illustion of simple solutions based on biodegradability, the politics of garbage, and a host of other issues. But suprise, suprise! Alexander sounds an optimistic note. Complete and accessible bibliography; essentially flawless editing. The only other thing one could ask for is an affordable price, and the publisher has given that. All levels."-Choice
"Alexander sides with the critics of pollution alarmism, and asserts that no garbage crisis exists . . . [His] reasoned insistence on the economic and technical parameters of handling trash precisely balances the nonacidic, nonalkaline needs of the current affairs shelf."-Booklist
...eminently readable, entertaining, and a very important statement about what grabage is, why it is important, who should care about it, and what is likely to happen in profligate societies. Alexander's industrial and academic experience together with his sprightly literary style informs, educates, and instructs the reader on the nature of waste, the disposal problem, the value of garbage, the impact of packaging in a throw-away society, the benefits of source reduction, the promise and problems of reclaiming and recycling, the illustion of simple solutions based on biodegradability, the politics of garbage, and a host of other issues. But suprise, suprise! Alexander sounds an optimistic note. Complete and accessible bibliography; essentially flawless editing. The only other thing one could ask for is an affordable price, and the publisher has given that. All levels.-Choice
A retired executive of American Can and professor at SUNY's school of forestry and environmental science, the author views the garbage crisis as stemming directly from the public's misconception, skewed through continuous misrepresentation of information by the media and environmentalists. The work is well documented and includes an impressive litany of published and unpublished sources. Although its pro-business perspective on garbage will be controversial, it is interesting reading and will provoke lively discussions.-Library Journal
Alexander sides with the critics of pollution alarmism, and asserts that no garbage crisis exists . . . [His] reasoned insistence on the economic and technical parameters of handling trash precisely balances the nonacidic, nonalkaline needs of the current affairs shelf.-Booklist
There is much in his book to think about regarding the handling of municipal solid waste, and the accounts of the history of garbage and the development of modern packaging are peppered with quirky detail.-New York Times Book Review
"A retired executive of American Can and professor at SUNY's school of forestry and environmental science, the author views the garbage crisis as stemming directly from the public's misconception, skewed through continuous misrepresentation of information by the media and environmentalists. The work is well documented and includes an impressive litany of published and unpublished sources. Although its pro-business perspective on garbage will be controversial, it is interesting reading and will provoke lively discussions."-Library Journal
"There is much in his book to think about regarding the handling of municipal solid waste, and the accounts of the history of garbage and the development of modern packaging are peppered with quirky detail."-New York Times Book Review
..."eminently readable, entertaining, and a very important statement about what grabage is, why it is important, who should care about it, and what is likely to happen in profligate societies. Alexander's industrial and academic experience together with his sprightly literary style informs, educates, and instructs the reader on the nature of waste, the disposal problem, the value of garbage, the impact of packaging in a throw-away society, the benefits of source reduction, the promise and problems of reclaiming and recycling, the illustion of simple solutions based on biodegradability, the politics of garbage, and a host of other issues. But suprise, suprise! Alexander sounds an optimistic note. Complete and accessible bibliography; essentially flawless editing. The only other thing one could ask for is an affordable price, and the publisher has given that. All levels."-Choice

Author Bio

JUDD H. ALEXANDER is a retired former Executive Vice President of American Can Company and of the James River Corporation, and former Chairman of Keep America Beautiful, Inc. He has served as Adjunct Professor in the graduate school of Forestry and Environmental Science at the State University of New York.