Life’s a Big Waste, Caterer Discovers

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERKELEY, Calif. Ari Derfel leads a trashy life. He just wants to remind everyone else that they do, too.

The caterer said he has saved every piece of trash he has generated over the last year to see how much garbage one person creates.

The experiment began as a way to examine his own consumption habits, Derfel said, but grew into a statement about consumerism.

“When we throw something away, what does ‘away’ mean?” Derfel said. “There’s no such thing as ‘away.’ “

The refuse including every tissue, food wrapper and plastic bottle lies in bins in his apartment. He composts food scraps.

Derfel hopes to donate his trash eventually to a sculptor.

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