Cartons Cans Orange Peels CL

Huge man-made systems devour rancid milk cartons; microscopic natural processes nibble away at rotting peels. This primer on garbage shows trash at work producing energy through clean burning, new products through recycling and enriched soil through composting. Although the unimaginative layout, text and photographs have a textbook feel, they will no doubt hold readers' interest because garbage--unlike the usual academic subjects--is intensely personal. Foster tosses in colorful information about: ``murfs'' (materials recycling facilities) that sort trash with magnets and eddy currents; scientists who study trash to learn about society's quirks; and landfills where old lettuce and newspapers have been preserved rather than decomposed. This book's dispassionate tone and constructive subject could serve as a model for future environmental books that focus on solutions rather than problems. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)