Wasted: How We Squander Time, Money, and Natural Resources-and What We Can Do About It

A riveting exploration of the complicated, and often surprising, ways that waste occurs in our businesses, our communities, and our lives

“A smart, unconventional book that takes readers far beyond what they think they know about a complex subject.”—Kari Byron, former cast member of MythBusters

Waste. We spend a great deal of energy trying to avoid it, but once you train your eyes to look for it, you’ll see it all around you—in your home, your business, and your everyday life.

In Wasted, futurist Byron Reese and entrepreneur Scott Hoffman take readers on a fascinating journey through this modern world of waste, drawing on science, economics, and human behavior to envision what a world with far less of it—or none of it at all—might look like.

Along the way, they explore thought-provoking issues such as
• why the United States got a higher proportion of its energy from renewable sources in 1950 than it does today
• whether the amount of gold in unused consumer electronics can be mined for profit
• how switching to water fountains on a single flight from Singapore to Newark could prevent the use of 3,400 plastic bottles
• whether the amount of money you save buying goods in bulk is offset by the amount you lose when some spoil

Ultimately, the question of reducing waste is scientific, philosophical, and, most of all, complex. According to Reese and Hoffman, the rush toward simple answers has often led to well-meaning efforts that cause more waste than they save. The only way we can hope to make progress is to treat waste as the complicated issue it is.

While the authors don’t promise easy answers, in this compelling book they take an important step toward solutions by examining the questions at play, giving actionable steps, and ensuring that you’ll never see the world of waste the same way again.