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Where the Trash Goes - and Who It Hurts: Exploring landfilling in South Carolina, the United States, and beyond

The Environmental Justice Lab

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Episode  ·  43:58  ·  Jun 10, 2025

About

In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, I break down the findings from my latest research publication, entitied “Race, Class, Gender, and Waste: A Spatial Analysis of Landfill Siting and Intersectional Inequities in South Carolina.” This article is not simply a data-driven study; it is an investigation into how race, gender, income, and geography intersect to determine who ends up living next to the landfills in South Carolina… and who doesn’t. I explain why landfills are still important in today’s environmental justice movement. I talk about the history of waste-related activism, and discuss how communities, particularly Black women, Hispanic women, and female-led households in poverty, are disproportionately burdened by the health, environmental, and social harms of landfill placement.The episode goes beyond statistics. It’s a reflection on the academic resistance to justice-focused research in engineering, an ode to cross-institutional collaboration, and a rallying cry for policy change, intersectional thinking, and true community engagement. Tune in now to hear why it’s time we rethink how we manage our waste, and who bears the cost.Resources: Race, Class, Gender, and Waste: A Spatial Analysis of Landfill Siting and Intersectional Inequities in South Carolina - Environmental SociologyToxic Waste and Race in the United States - Full ReportConnect with our Environmental Justice Lab community: Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.comDon’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/supportConnect with our Environmental Justice Lab community: Instagram: @envjusticelab YouTube: @envjusticelab Email: theenvironmentaljusticelab@gmail.comDon’t forget to subscribe and rate the podcast wherever you listen! Support our work by joining the Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-environmental-justice-lab--5583745/support

43m 58s  ·  Jun 10, 2025

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