Garbology
/ɡɑːrˈbɒl.ə.dʒi/noun
The study of garbage and refuse, especially what discarded materials reveal about human behavior and society.
Did you know?The modern field was famously advanced by archaeologist William Rathje, whose Garbage Project found that people’s actual discarded waste often contradicted what they claimed to consume.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“To collect, gather, or pick up; the ancient root later associated with gathering words and ideas.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
logos
“Word, speech, account, reasoning, or systematic study.”
Late Middle English
English
-logy
“A learned suffix meaning a field of study, adopted through Latin and French from Greek -logia.”
16th Century
English
garbage
“Waste material or refuse; the word’s deeper origin is uncertain, though it may be connected with Anglo-French terms for entrails or offal.”
1960s
English
garbology
“A modern blend of garbage and -ology, referring to the systematic study of refuse.”
20th Century–Present
English
garbology
“An interdisciplinary study using trash to investigate consumption, social behavior, economics, and environmental impact.”