Trash That Doesn’t Stink: Appreciating Derf Backderf’s “Trashed”

How much trash do we produce?
How did our ancestors deal with it?
Where does it go now?
How do you make a cool, funny, interesting read about it?

All these questions, and more, are answered by Derf Backderf, in his graphic novel Trashed.

The award-winning author of My Friend Dahmer followed up that graphic novel with this semi-autobiographical work describing the author’s most garbage summer job of them all. Built around a funky storyline of down and out trash collecting in small-town America, Backderf provides educational interludes regarding the history of garbage, the way garbage trucks work, how landfills work, and how the whole situation really stinks!

Here are a few choice excerpts:

How We’ve Dealt With Garbage

Landfills

So here’s to Trashed. May it open your eyes, bring a smile to your lips, and perhaps help get you more involved in making how we deal with trash more eco-friendly and sustainable.

PS –

As of publication, per Backderf, the average American throws away 5 lbs. of trash a day, and the average family of four over 7,300 lbs. a year. So when you finish reading it, please don’t just toss it away. Let’s not add Trashed to our trash!.