Trash Talking HOW CAN WE RECYCLE TRASH, REDUCE LITTER AND CREATE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES?
BY JEFFREY SMITH, AIA, NCARB
Throughout the coastal area of south Louisiana, small mounds, which have been identified as shell middens, were left behind many centuries ago by Native Americans. These middens were their trash piles, or landfills as we know them now. Archaeologists have mined these middens to uncover the history of the lifestyle of our ancient ancestors by analyzing their trash. They have discovered arrowheads, pottery chards, bone tools, and other organic items that have helped us understand how they lived. Imagine, many years from now, archaeologists excavating our landfills to determine how we lived. They would find plastics, glass, metals, and other non-biodegradable waste in huge mounds located throughout the world. I think they would be horrified at their findings and question the intellect of their ancestors. Why on earth would you use the organic natural resources of our planet to produce non-organic products and then throw them into giant trash piles? HOLLY & SMITH ARCHITECTS, APAC