Lucy Walker, Director of 'Waste Land', Follows Her Trash To The Landfill (PHOTOS & VIDEO)

Director Lucy Walker spent months filming the stories of garbage pickers working at Rio de Janeiro's Jardim Gramacho, one of the world's largest landfills, for her 2011 Academy Award-nominated documentary, Waste Land. After her Waste Land experience, Lucy set out to learn what happens to Los Angeles' garbage with social innovators Max Lugavere and Jason Silva. (Make sure to watch the video at the end of the slideshow!)

1 of 11

SPONSOR GENERATED POST FROM Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

3.8 million people = 1 million tons of trash

◄

1 of 11

►

@

Most days, the 405/110 freeway interchange reminds commuters of how populated Los Angeles really is. However, fewer of the city's 3.8 million residents know that the City of Los Angeles Sanitation Department of Public Works collects over 1 million tons of refuse annually.

GMO Protests

Cicadas!

gadgets/slideshows/298353/slide_298353_2481215_small.jpg

May Tornadoes 2013

May 2013 Central U.S. Tornadoes (GRAPHIC IMAGES)

Moore Oklahoma Tornado Victims

Rainbows

Most days, the 405/110 freeway interchange reminds commuters of how populated Los Angeles really is. However, fewer of the city's 3.8 million residents know that the City of Los Angeles Sanitation Department of Public Works collects over 1 million tons of refuse annually.

comments(8)

featured comment

Reply | Share

jennifer724 said on 6 Wednesday 2011 pm31 4:42 pm: I think this slideshow and video are really important reminders of how conscious we need to be about what is really trash (like that picture frame) and how much we need to cut back on what we throw into the trash. Recycling is key. We should also be donating used items instead of throwing them in the trash, so that they can go on to have another life, maybe even as a beautiful piece of art.

Total comments: 8 | Post a Comment

1 of 12

Rate This Slide

Rank #2  |  Average: 4

• 
  1
• 
  2
• 
  3
• 
  4
• 
  5
• 
  6
• 
  7
• 
  8
• 
  9
• 
  10

Current Top 5 Slides

loading...

Choose your Top 5 Slides

UserName

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Top User Slides

← Prev|Next →

 | Become a fan

Picked These as the Top 5 Slides in the Slideshow

loading...

Users who voted on this slide

← Prev|Next →

loading...

Comments

[Andy Scatterbrain]

04:45 PM on 07/07/2011

I saw this on Huffpo, watched in on Netflix last night. Awesome! This movie cuts to the heart of so many issues. Watch how Isis is smiling in the beginning, but almost seems to get miserable with her situation with the camera on her. The whole movie makes you question everything about the very definition of wealth. Awesome glimpses into Brazil culture as well, what a place!

The first thing I saw by Lucy Walker was Countdown to Zero, also a home run but not as good as this. If you are a documentary buff, you must watch Wasteland.

[Mike Johnstone]

08:42 AM on 07/07/2011

This is a great slide show and video at the end. An excellent reminder of how much we waste and importance of recycle/reuse for all of us.

[wwwTHENOIREFFECTcom]

11:59 PM on 07/06/2011

The fact we still are using landfills is amazing. In 2011 you would think we would develop a system to where there would be more biodegradable products than not.

[Dinki Di Dog Food]

10:05 PM on 07/06/2011

I wonder if anyone has tried excavating an old landfill like an archeologist excavates a site. You would be bound to find some interesting things. Imagine a cross section of a landfill like layers of sedimentary rock. Each layer telling a story about the people.

[CAELadyJane50]

09:08 PM on 07/06/2011

I agree with recycling and donating items to be used over again but part of the problem I've seen is some items (not all items) found donated were just too worn or torn to ever be used again. For trash that cannot be reused over, isn't there some way it can be used to make fuel for energy? I remember seeing on television several years ago, a business owner made fuel out of onions to help save energy for his business (don't ask me how this worked, but it did).

[Diablo Canyon]

09:02 PM on 07/06/2011

Burn it to make electricity to replace nuclear plants. Take my reactor, please.....

[badman400]

10:26 AM on 07/10/2011

Then all that pitch black smoke and pollution goes into the atmosphere. Nuclear energy is much cleaner and VERY safe. The media blows the very few nuclear accidents that do happen WAY out of proportion. Unfortunately, most people believe what they see in the mainstream media and places like this too much. "Never waste a good crisis". The sheeple continue to be led around by the nose by the media and politicians.

[jennifer724]

04:42 PM on 07/06/2011

I think this slideshow and video are really important reminders of how conscious we need to be about what is really trash (like that picture frame) and how much we need to cut back on what we throw into the trash. Recycling is key. We should also be donating used items instead of throwing them in the trash, so that they can go on to have another life, maybe even as a beautiful piece of art.