A Question of Waste

Michael Dooney

Is there any reason we produce so much waste? Take note next time you put out the rubbish / recycling and see how much your household is producing. Imagine that amount of waste multiplied by 52 and you’ll have some idea of how much waste you are producing each year.
Reducing the amount of waste not only alleviates the problem of what to do with the things we no longer need, but also reduces the flow on affect. There are very few recycling facilities within WA (and Australia) which have the capabilities to convert our waste products back into raw materials. Much of our recycling is shipped overseas to places like China that have the facilities to reuse the waste and utilise its embodied energy. However the irony here is that the carbon footprint created for repackaging and transporting the waste is often greater than the reduction in carbon received from recycling the materials to begin with.
The question this photo essay is attempting to ask, is why are we producing so much waste to begin with?
Exhibited from 5th April 2008 until 18th April 2008 as part of the FotoFreo 2008 Festival of Photography (Fringe) – Fremantle.
Thank you to the following Waste Management Facilities for their time and assistance throughout this project.
CLAW Environmental Welshpool
Collier Park Transfer Station Victoria Park
Regional Resource Recovery Cycle (RRRC) Canning Vale
Tamala Park Waste Management Facility Tamla Park (Marmion ave)
Additional information regarding recycling and available facilities serving your area:
www.clawenvironmental.com.au
www.mrc.wa.gov.au
www.planetark.com.au
www.recyclingnearyou.com
www.smrc.com.au