Garbage DemographicsWilliam Rathje and Cullen Murphy

Garbage is part of an ecosystem whose properties depend on: Weather Season Rate of growth

WHAT PEOPLE REALLY DO

Garbage sampling can reveal: The percentage of households that fall victim

to advertisements. Households that have stockpiles Households that buy the same product over

time Households that didn’t like a product

Documenting illegal aliens Household data already collected to aid the

Garbage Project “Multiplier”

GARBAGE TO CHECK THE CENSUS

Estimate population size of prehistoric cultures

WHY ARCHAEOLOGISTS?

Plastic accounts for 0.2 pounds of the 2.1 pounds of garbage that is thrown away in a day.

Equation: household size=0.2815xplastic NO definite way to determine proportions

between men and women in a given society.

THE GREAT EQUALIZER

Average discard of toys and packages Child’s clothing

PROPORTION OF CHILDREN

Analysis Example

Name of Artifact Description

Pop Can Silver, Sprite diet

Water Jug Poland Springs, gallon

Water bottle Blue, green label, Poland springs

Bottle Seltzer , blue label, red writing,

Description:The person that produced this garbage is apparently recycling bottles used in the house. The majority of beverages that this person drinks is water. There may be a child in the house because of the smaller bottles of water.