# One Landfill's Trash is the Future's Treasure **URL:** **By** Paul Matzko **Published:** December 9, 2021 --- Reject conspicuous conservation and embrace effective environmentalism. ## Shownotes: If you're the kind of person who carefully sorts out your recyclables from your trash, cleans it, and puts it out in the blue bin for pickup, you probably don't realize that as much as 90% of that material either just ends up in a landfill or, worse, is dumped into the ocean. Indeed, much of the plastic litter in the Pacific Ocean is the result of our well-intentioned but misplaced efforts at recycling since the 1990s. In this episode, we talk to an environmental economist, landfill scientist, and blockchain engineer about the future of our waste. We can efficiently sort and store our plastics in landfills for future mining operations, incentivizing good behavior via cryptocurrency rewards. We can incinerate our waste in hyper-efficient facilities that power cities and reduce our carbon footprint. Building Tomorrow means building more and better landfills. ## Music Attribution: Happy Boy End Theme by Kevin MacLeod, Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3854-happy-boy-end-theme), License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Wet Riffs by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4618-wet-riffs](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4618-wet-riffs) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Acid Trumpet by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3340-acid-trumpet](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3340-acid-trumpet) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Parisian by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4194-parisian](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4194-parisian) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Danse Macabre - Violin Hook by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3599-danse-macabre---violin-hook](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3599-danse-macabre---violin-hook) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Sneaky Snitch by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4384-sneaky-snitch](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4384-sneaky-snitch) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Loopster by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4991-loopster](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4991-loopster) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Shades of Spring by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4342-shades-of-spring) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Rollin At 5 by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5000-rollin-at-5](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5000-rollin-at-5) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Mining by Moonlight by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4055-mining-by-moonlight](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4055-mining-by-moonlight) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Neon Laser Horizon by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7015-neon-laser-horizon](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7015-neon-laser-horizon) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Hidden Agenda by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3872-hidden-agenda](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3872-hidden-agenda) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Blippy Trance by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5759-blippy-trance](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5759-blippy-trance) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Odyssey by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4995-odyssey](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4995-odyssey) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Aurea Carmina by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4982-aurea-carmina](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4982-aurea-carmina) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Pleasant Porridge by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7614-pleasant-porridge](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7614-pleasant-porridge) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Magic Scout Cottages by Kevin MacLeod Link: [https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4672-magic-scout-cottages](https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4672-magic-scout-cottages) License: [https://filmmusic.io/standard-license](https://filmmusic.io/standard-license) Theme song by Cellophane Sam Sound effects courtesy of [Zapsplat.com](http://zapsplat.com/)