Top 15 Trashspotting Blogs
In 2006, writer and cartoonist Chris Onstadt launched a number of character blogs as a means of promoting his popular observational – and frequently absurdist – internet-based comic Achewood. One such account revolved around “trashspotting,” a simultaneously intellectual and recreational activity devoted to meandering the streets of a city and carefully noting all the litter, garbage, and other detritus discovered along the way. Using one of his creations as a conduit for his philosophies, Onstadt encouraged others to take up the hobby as well, believing in the old academic principle that it is possible to form a multitude of ideas about a culture based on what it considers disposable and any patterns regarding the sort of goods it regularly consumes. Clubs sprung up worldwide in response to the clarion call, with many individuals eager to act as “archaeologists of the present.” But, tragically, the enthusiasm for such an intriguing pastime fizzled away almost as quickly as it came into being, leaving behind it an ironic (perhaps intentional?) wake of abandoned blogs and broken image links.
Now, it is possible to peruse the internet and peer into the fads that spring up and die out with the same curious sociological eye as the original trashspotters – ideas considered almost as temporary as aluminum cans and plastic bags. Few of the original blogs remain, with the majority of the initial collective now reduced to series of frustrating 404 messages. However, many other blogs which either predate or find little to no inspiration in Onstadt’s mini-movement still echo the same spirit of how humanity interacts with and perceives its garbage. These have been included as a means of underlying the psychological and sociological principles behind consumerism, consumption, and aesthetics all over the world which initially charged enthusiastic trashspotters. Rather than wandering through neighborhoods and streets to forge perceptions, readers can explore digital spaces and make observations on the observers themselves.
1. Budapest Trashspotting Club
With two months’ worth of archives, the Budapest Trashspotting Club remains one of the more active blogs on the official roster. Amazingly detailed descriptions of the jugs, cans, and bottles in the streets of Hungary’s capital city characterize what few posts popped up between April and May of 2006. Even though the blog itself only hosted 3 updates in total, patterns already began unveiling themselves before its abrupt end. For 2 consecutive nights, members of the collective discovered several massive bags of rolls in public trash receptacles. They found themselves boggling over the situation, as the rolls in question did not appear tainted by mold – nor were they characteristic of any nearby bakery or pastry shop. Their humorous conjectures as to the origin of the discarded food make for an amusing, imaginative highlight. Other discoveries include the alcoholic remnants of a party and the vivid description of an apartment building’s teeming dumpsters. Though a veritable flash when it comes to longevity in blogging, the Budapest Trashspotting Club stokes creativity and provides an intelligent glimpse into the possible stories behind seemingly menial garbage.
Onstadt’s original trashspotting manifesto, presented through the perspective of one of his characters. He shares his travels and photographs at least once, poking through neighborhood recycling bins rather than the usual urban streets. However, the blog’s initial influence lay not in its observations and depictions of California curbsides, but rather in the charmingly specific, intelligent, and thorough manifesto detailing the ins and outs of trashspotting. When stripped of elements such as the fictitious “Master Council” and instructions on how to refer to certain members, at its core the philosophies behind trashspotting promote community creativity and a better understanding of society and its attitudes towards disposables. Adherents to the code nurture their imaginations, working together as a cohesive group to form conclusions both plausible and fanciful behind the tangible realities they discover. At one point, the main hub united all clubs across the world with a common vision, a logo, and even a forum where participants could talk about their findings with one another. Now sadly defunct, one wonders what sort of inventiveness surged through the discussion boards and whether or not any universals began revealing themselves slowly as members began to share their experiences and observations.
3. Portland, Oregon Trashspotting Club
As with its contemporaries, the Portland, Oregon Trashspotting Club sprang forth from Onstadt’s conjectures and almost immediately collapsed in upon itself. Its final message expresses hope for a plumped-up community, sadly reflecting the eventual petering off of the genuinely intriguing fancy. Descriptions of the nicely detailed photographs are brief, offering only one possibility for each scene. However, the limited comments do add a small shot of imagination. Easily the most intriguing sight involves a dumpster at a construction site, housing little more than a couple of bricks, a damaged saw, and dingy black garbage bag. Overall content is thin, but helpfully underscores the discussions on other affiliated blogs – helping those chronicling the actions of the chroniclers find national or international commonalities in consumption.
Another fascinating non-starter, Trashspotting San Diego held a pause as it waited for instructions from Onstadt’s fictional avatar. One revealing post indicated that this particular chapter waited with earnest anticipation for more official regulations and swag to publicly declare an adherence to the trashspotting manifesto, such as apparel and mugs. If the San Diego discipleship ever ventured into the neighborhoods or shopping centers on an educational tour of their city’s attitudes towards consumables, no evidence exists on this particular blog. However, they do offer a very enlightening peek into what drew them towards pursuing and prompting trashspotting as a potentially insightful hobby. The final post succinctly looks at mankind’s fascination with disposables before Onstadt infuse their ideals into his works. Some enjoy finding unexpected trash in equally unexpected places. Others enjoy exercising their imagination to conceive vivid and creative stories behind how certain bits of detritus ended up exactly where they found it. And even more enjoy thinking of ways to utilize their findings into works of art. It would not be beyond the realm of logic to see all of these as motivations behind why so many found the concepts behind trashspotting so attractive.
Sociologists and archaeologists alike are capable of drawing certain conjectures regarding certain civilizations by intently studying the ancient trash pits of long-dead peoples. The View Through Waste, once operated by the same individuals responsible for Budapest Trashspotting Club, looks at both the history and present of society’s perceptions of and interactions with its garbage. Though another briefly burning spark, it provides an academic perspective to not only the quickly fading internet phenomenon, but dumpster diving and how modern artists utilize disposables in their creations. The owner presents works of political science, journal articles, videos, personal travels, Wikipedia entries, and other venues of information to present his opinions on the myriad ways in which people look at their trash. It intellectualizes the mundane, peeling back the negative implications to reveal the educational and aesthetic possibilities behind what gets thrown away. Postings perfectly encapsulate the very same ideals that Onstadt sought to promote when he conceived of trashspotting as a worthwhile pastime.
Aside from the obligatory introduction and veritable homage to Onstadt’s original blog, Trashspotting Brisbane only managed to organize one outing to catch a glimpse of Australia’s consumer behaviors. If they happened to make any other forays, they never chronicled them through this blog. Their sole contribution contains no photographs, brief descriptions, and hasty conclusions regarding underage liquor consumption, toga partying, and the visceral presence of a bloated, raw, and shocking-looking chicken residing whole in a pizza backs. Many of the comparisons between Brisbane and other “Western” nations reveal more commonalities than differences. Emptied liquor bottles and cans crop up consistently on the few remaining blogs from the original trashspotting collective, as do food products. This could say any number of things about heavily consumerist First World nations.
7. Trashspotting in Auburn, AL
As Onstadt himself points out in this blog’s comments section, the trashspotting chapter located in Auburn, Alabama blends the dirty discipline of dumpster diving into its practices. One of the most frustrating, yet absolutely fascinating aspects of this particular blog involves the fact that every photo has been suspended due to the user’s 90 day inactivity on the hosting site. Descriptions and comments line up directly with what was once available, forcing readers to forge images internally. Normally, this makes for an agonizing visit, but within the spirit and context of trashspotting makes for a particularly valuable piece of the puzzle. Here, both the images and the blog themselves are treated with the same attitude as the garbage once so lovingly chronicled. They are tossed aside as digital refuse – lost and forgotten with only those devoted to understanding how they operated from a sociological perspective still fascinated by and finding the beauty in what they had to say. A bittersweet irony, yes, but a necessary one that almost fully parallels the original writers’ intentions.
Although not explicitly a trashspotting blog, 365 Days of Trash offers an essential glimpse into the various ways in which individuals treat consumption and consumerism – one of the many objectives that Onstadt’s original manifesto sought to thoroughly explore. For one full year, filmmaker and writer Dave Chameides kept all of his garbage and recyclables in his basement. He painstakingly recorded every bit of rubbish that found itself underneath his house, composting the food waste to prevent unpleasant odors wafting up to other floors. While a certainly extreme measure, it opened up his eyes to how people waste more with the knowledge that their garbage ships off elsewhere, beyond the borders of their property. As his basement burst at the seams with his leavings, Chameides found ways to reuse many of the products, most especially packaging and reduce his potentially negative impact on the environment. Although the project has officially ended, he still posts numerous resources regarding curbing waste and needless consumption on a regular basis.
Blogger Allan B. Tross recounts the stories and activities of an elderly gentleman named Daniel Webster who occasionally pops into the Salvation Army soup kitchen where he works. Local Man Spots Trash does display the official trashspotting insignia, though it takes a far more different approach to the subject matter than the others. Taking place in an anonymous Canadian town, Tross eloquently recounts Webster’s adventures in seeking out beer cans to deposit for money. Not only does this reinforce the old adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure and underscore many of the accompanying sociological implications, it also shows the disparity in priorities and perceptions between those living in a comfortable socioeconomic bracket and those living without. However few the stories, these accounts of creative nonfiction provide a unique perspective on the fleeting sport of trashspotting.
everydaytrash.com closely examines garbage on a global scale. From Brooklyn to Addis Ababa, journalists Leila Darabi and Victor Bernhardtz analyze art, politics, and the ways in which they intersect with perceptions of trash, consumerism, and consumption all over the world. They showcase documentaries, discuss relevant news articles, and share beloved pieces of both functional and decorative artwork crafted out of recycled or re-appropriated materials. Intelligent and insightful, the both of them offer up fascinating ideas as to what trash says about individuals, nations, and the whole of human society. Both Darabi and Bernhardtz draw from their journalistic backgrounds and frequently post interesting statistics and analyses about anything and everything related to garbage, along with their own well-informed commentary.
11. Discardia
Discardia was created as an alternative holiday rejecting overconsumption and promoting the sloughing off of outdated ideas and items. However, they do not advocate just dumping out the old to replace with the new – rather, they suggest finding more creative or socially conscious methods of cutting out the physical clutter. Numerous tips about cleaning up spaces and lives abound, alongside links to and information on several charities who will happily accept donations. The site itself ceased updates as of 2005, but continues on with the announcement of a Discardia Twitter account and upcoming book. Though not relating to the sociology or psychology behind garbage and consumption, the site is valuable in that it looks at trash from the other side – minimizing the creation of more and learning how to redistribute apparel, toys, and other recyclables in order to prevent needless clutter.
12. Nico Van Hoorn
Netherlands-based artist Nico Van Hoorn specializes in photographing garbage as a multifaceted aesthetic, social, environmental, and political message. On his main site, he offers an extensive photo essay titled Crime Scene. Littering is considered a legal offense in The Netherlands, and Van Hoorn documents all instances he comes across with a camera and roll of yellow crime scene tape. Feeling as if the images speak for themselves, he does not bother to add any descriptions or explanations. This helps to pique the imaginations of those viewing his striking pieces, forcing them to think of how a shopping cart ended up overturned in a lush green forest setting or a beige computer monitor found itself amongst wet, rotting leaves. Van Hoorn also brought home and scanned one piece of trash he discovered on the street between May 5, 2002 and May 4, 2005 at TRASHLOG. It speaks volumes of humanity seeing that he was able to find at least mostly flattened, 10 cm by 15 cm or smaller piece of garbage to catalogue a day during an hour and a half walk.
Though unaffiliated with Onstadt’s trashspotting manifesto, Last Night’s Garbage carries on the same spirit years after the other blogs rose and fell. Every photograph comes straight to viewers from New York City, accompanied not by commentary, but rather excerpts and links to relevant articles, fun facts, or interesting research. Their juxtaposition of information and street photography makes for a striking comparison of what society deems useful and how it comes to decide an object or idea is absolutely useless. Some of the discards are sadly unsalvageable for human use, such as the mattress smeared with feces. Others, like shoes, hubcaps, books, and stuffed animals could have easily found another life in a shelter or an art project. And many more belong in recycling bins – not the gutters.
14. The Story of Stuff Project
The Story of Stuff Project incorporates not only a blog, but a documentary, social justice activism resource, and environmental campaign as well. Both the blog and the site overflow with information pertaining to how pollutants, overconsumption, and other hazards grow to negatively impact local, national, and international communities. Think of it as trashspotting on a grander scale, as it looks at everything from litter to chemical plants from a social and health perspective. Be sure to explore everything the site has to offer beyond the blog in order to gain a broad understanding of how trash and other waste comes into being and the ways it multiples to affect those around it.
A collective of enthusiastic artists, these intrepid trashspotters stretch the hobby to one of its many logical conclusions. Not only do they make note of the environmental and social implications of certain disposables, but they also rescue some of their findings for use in works of visual art. While much of the input does revolve around themes of environmentalism, the green movement, sustainability, overconsumption, and consumerism, many of the assemblages actually reflect a wide variety of subjective elements. All the involved creators pull double duty as artists and activists, using their keen observations and inspired spirits to explore the whys of throwing things away as well as the why nots on how to re-appropriate them for a myriad of other uses.
Regardless of whether or not they claim any affiliation or inspiration with Chris Onstadt’s brief, bright internet mini-movement of trashspotting, all of these blogs unite in one common interest. Considered mundane and undesirable by most, trash actually holds with it considerable academic interest. There is much to learn about a society’s priorities, preferences, and philosophies by inspecting what they consider disposable – a technique utilized by both archaeologists and sociologists. But curious parties outside these disciplines are still perfectly capable of forging ahead on their own excavations, learning more about their communities in the process and challenging their imaginations to figure out stories for the more unorthodox finds.
