Simon Paré-Poupart, a Canadian garbageman who began his career in Montreal as a teenager and has worked in waste collection for over two decades, offers a rare insider’s perspective on society’s handling of refuse in his memoir *Trash!*. His account sheds light on the often overlooked realities of waste management and the broader implications of consumer excess.

Paré-Poupart describes garbage collectors as “the Sisyphus of our consumer society,” emphasizing the cyclical and seemingly endless nature of their work. Throughout his career, he estimates having moved nearly 70,000 tonnes of waste, yet notes that garbagemen remain largely invisible to the public. While couriers, movers, and mail carriers receive thanks, garbagemen are often wished away, their task dismissed as something that should magically disappear. Despite efforts by households to recycle and reduce waste, the burden remains with those who directly manage society’s discards.

Drawing from personal experience, including a period spent working garbage rounds in Soho, central London, Paré-Poupart highlights the job’s hazards, such as the presence of discarded dirty needles. He argues that the profession requires a particular temperament, noting that garbagemen are “born, and only rarely made.” His comrades often come from challenging backgrounds, including former bikers, athletes who gave up on professional careers, and others shaped by difficult childhoods. He likens them to “warrior rōnin” or wandering samurai—outcasts with a form of tainted nobility who take on society’s refuse.

Paré-Poupart’s interest in the industry extends beyond the physical demands to the social and environmental dimensions of waste. Having studied sociology and business and worked as a social worker and journalist, he views the garbage industry as one of the last unionized labor sectors open to unskilled workers in Canada. His reflections point to society’s reckless wastefulness, citing figures that indicate the world generates around two billion tonnes of solid waste annually. He further observes that even space is affected, mentioning how debris orbits add to this growing “midden,” including the “tin can” referenced in David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

*Trash!* is part of a broader tradition of writing by those engaged in gritty, often invisible labor. Paré-Poupart references earlier works such as George Orwell’s *Down and Out in Paris and London* and the writings of Anthony Bourdain, which similarly delve into the lives of workers in overlooked professions. He also notes historical literary connections, including the Czech author Bohumil Hrabal’s novel about a man salvaging banned books in a waste paper plant, and the etymology of terms like “dustman,” rooted in Victorian London’s dusty streets.

Throughout his memoir, Paré-Poupart interweaves cultural and literary references, quoting Victor Hugo’s assertion that “the sewer is the conscience of the city,” praising the honesty found in garbage as a reflection of societal truth. He suggests that waste challenges illusions, placing all on equal footing by revealing what people discard and ignore. While some individuals show occasional appreciation—offering garbagemen holiday gifts, for instance—the overall social attitude remains one of avoidance and discomfort.

Ultimately, Paré-Poupart’s narrative highlights a shared but often unspoken recognition: garbage collectors witness the physical traces of environmental degradation and societal overconsumption. They bear witness to a collective reluctance to confront these issues directly, underscoring the often invisible yet essential role they play in managing the consequences of human consumption.