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Transformation of Organic Household Leftovers into a Peat Substitute

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[From garbage production to residue transformation].

Marta Pimenta Velloso¹

¹Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21041-210, Brazil. marta.velloso@ensp.fiocruz.br

Ciencia & Saude Coletiva

|August 10, 2010

Summary

Waste pickers and visual artists transform discarded materials into valuable items, highlighting societal value gaps. This study explores how society perceives and values waste, revealing deeper insights beyond technical aspects.

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Area of Science:

Sociology of consumption
Art and material culture studies
Waste management and social value

Context:

Examines the relationship between waste pickers and visual artists.
Focuses on the transformation of consumption society's remnants.

Purpose:

To identify the societal gap in processing waste materials.
To understand the social value attributed to waste objects.
To analyze how waste pickers and artists redefine these objects.

Summary:

Waste pickers repurpose discarded items, restoring dignity to materials.
Visual artists transform these materials into art, imbuing them with new social value.
This collaborative process challenges purely technical views of waste, revealing deeper societal values.

Impact:

Highlights the potential for waste materials to hold significant social and artistic value.
Suggests a need to reconsider our relationship with waste beyond its technical utility.
Demonstrates how art and social enterprise can redefine perceptions of discarded items.