### Summary of an interview given by Claire Laroque to lecho.be
The recycling industry, often presented as a panacea for solving environmental crises, could paradoxically reinforce the logic of overconsumption that is suffocating our planet. In publishing *Philosophy of Waste*, I wanted to pose a fundamental question: how do our societies define and manage their waste?
#### A question that goes beyond trash
In a world where manufactured objects are omnipresent, we are producing more waste than ever. By 2040, man-made objects could weigh three times more than all living species combined. Yet, this waste, which should alert us to the unsustainability of our production and consumption models, is rendered invisible. It is relegated to the margins, as if by hiding it, we could ignore the impacts of our behaviors.
This rejection is deeply symbolic: waste represents finitude, decay, and, in a sense, our own mortality. But by refusing to see it, we also refuse to acknowledge the unsustainability of a system based on “more and more” and on the ephemeral.
#### The myth of recycling
I do not intend to deny the usefulness of recycling. However, this industry, by presenting itself as a universal solution, can become a double-edged sword. It lulls us into the illusion that technology can solve everything. The “fully recyclable” is a myth: even if we managed to recycle every produced object, the sheer mass of waste and the saturation of landfills would continue to grow.
Worse still, this blind trust in recycling legitimizes a logic of hyperconsumption. If everything can be recycled, why stop buying? In reality, the circular economy, if it remains at the service of the same productive mechanisms, risks reinforcing the problem rather than solving it.
#### Rethinking our relationship with objects
We live in a “throwaway culture,” where objects are designed to be ephemeral. This logic generates a total disconnection between the user and their possessions. Repairing, composting, and reusing have become almost subversive acts, as they challenge the dominant economic system and invite us to reconnect with material.
This relationship to waste, although it seems trivial, is actually deeply political and social. It touches on issues of territory, environmental justice, and citizenship. Northern countries, in their logic of outsourcing, too often transform Southern countries into open-air dumps, imposing the environmental cost of our lifestyle on the most vulnerable populations.
#### Making waste a democratic issue
It is urgent that waste management ceases to be a domain reserved for experts and becomes a true democratic issue. Citizens must be consulted, informed, and involved. Too often, debates around waste are monopolized by technocratic or economic considerations, sidelining social and ecological dimensions.
It is not simply about sorting waste, but about completely rethinking our relationship with consumption and objects. By reintroducing waste into the “common world,” we can initiate a truly sustainable transition.
Because ultimately, it is not just a question of waste, but of societal model. And if we want to prevent the recycling industry from becoming the alibi for our hyperconsumption, we must confront this uncomfortable truth: our well-being does not depend on what we own, but on what we preserve.
**Claire Larroque**
Philosopher and author of *Philosophy of Waste* (PUF).