The Hidden Life of Trash

1440 Explores · Apr 2, 2026 · 24m

Every day, we throw things away. But "away" isn't a place, it's a system.

From curbside pickup to landfills, trash shapes cities, public health, and the environment in ways most of us never see.

Host Sony Kassam sits down with anthropologist Robin Nagle, who spent years riding garbage trucks in New York City, to help trace the hidden life of what we throw out—and asks the question that's harder to answer than it sounds: if garbage tells the story of who we are, what does ours say?

Guest:

Robin Nagle, anthropologist, clinical professor at New York University, and author of Picking Up: On the…