In part one of Humes novel, Garbology, he informs readers of the landfill, Puente Hills, the largest active dump in the country, and the hazardous materials, such as “leachate”, that is infecting the area of Los Angeles County (25). He declares that Americans disposed of trash in the wrong ways and it effected the air we breathe. Humes states that some …show more content…
Humes hints that the only way to make improvements is if we start with ourselves. He introduces Andy Keller and his Chicobag, a bag he created to replace plastic bags in grocery stores. The author explains that Keller created this product after witnessing a landfill and being disgusted by the stench and the amount of plastics. Humes describes a family that changed their life style and only had a jar full of waste after a year. This family made this choice because the mom, Bea Johnson, realized that she didn’t need her extra items. Bea Johnson lives by the 4 R’s: “reduce”, “reuse”, “recycle”, and “refuse” (274). Humes brings to our attention that Portland, Oregon is the “greenest” city in America. He talks about the different ways Portland became more green by creating more bike paths, public transportation, and reducing greenhouse gas. Humes states that although Portland, Oregon is the “greenest” city in America, it lacks in its amount of