Wasteland: The Secret World of Waste and the Urgent Search for a Cleaner Future

‘An incredible journey… full of fascinating characters and mind-bending facts.’ – Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland and Butler To The World

What happens to the things we discard? How can we create a cleaner and less wasteful city?

From the sewers of London to the landfills of Ghana, the multi-billion dollar waste management industry has created environmental crises worldwide while facilitating the modern global economy of disposable goods. Wasteland (Hachette Books, 2023), by Oliver Franklin-Wallis, uncovers the stories behind what we throw away and where it goes – and seeks to provide solutions to this increasingly urgent situation.

Join us via Zoom on February 21st for a lively conversation between Oliver Franklin-Wallis and OHNY Board Vice Chair Saundra Thomas about his experience writing this book. Participants will get a behind the scenes look at the world of waste and its impact on the urban environment. While this book offers a global perspective, the discussion will touch on themes from OHNY’s 2017 series Getting to Zero, which explored how New York has been shaped and reshaped over time by how we manage our garbage.

Purchase Wasteland: The Secret World of Waste and the Search for a Cleaner Future here or at your favorite local bookstore.

About the Author

Oliver Franklin-Wallis is an award-winning magazine journalist, whose writing has appeared in WIRED (where he is a contributing editor), British GQ, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Times Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, 1843, and many other publications.

Launched in 2020, OHNY Stacks is a series of book talks exploring the shape, structure, and experience of cities and urban life today. Join us this winter, virtually and in person, for conversations with acclaimed authors that reveal new perspectives on the past, present, and future of life in NYC—and beyond.

This program will take place live over Zoom. The link to join the program will be provided to all ticketholders.