George and I walked from Falkirk Grahamston to Grangemouth the other day. I hadn’t set out with Waste Stories intentions, but waste and stories reveal themselves in most places, whether I’m actively looking for them or not. I just can’t take the glasses off. Our route took us along the canal, which of course meant Read More…
Category: streetside waste
Many a True Word is Spoken in Jest
contributed by George Robertson Anna has previously posted a story telling of our early encounters with disposable vapes. One fine day, walking along a very rural road in Dumfries and Galloway, we found a partly squashed mettle tube with some wires hanging out of the end, and the remains of some kind of wadding. What Read More…
Rubbish reflections
On the Thursday 18th August 2022, refuse collection workers in Edinburgh started strike action as negotiations over pay and conditions failed. They were joined by their colleagues in other Scottish local authorities at various points over the next few days, including Glasgow (where strike action began on Wednesday 24th). The Edinburgh strike in particular gained Read More…
“Vorsprung durch Technik”
I found the detonator at the side of the road to Sandhead, on the Rhinns of Galloway. It had been run over, possibly by one of the big, heavy trucks transporting grass to the farms for silage, but its wires were still attached and some of the inner wadding material was poking out of one Read More…
The Patient Bride
Waste Stories was recently approached by Bruno Noriega, a fourth-year Film and Media student at the University of Stirling and friend of Phoebe and Marvin. He wanted to know a bit more about the project and to use it as a focus for a photojournalism assignment. Last Saturday, George and I went for a walk Read More…
A Feast of Souls
Night falls. The last light fades from the sky. The white of the snow, the bright red and glossy green of the holly: all turn to grey. Inside, Julia shivers and pulls the curtains tight. Marguerite wimpers in the corner. “Shhh! You must keep quiet, especially now. Dusk is the most dangerous time.” “But Read More…
Flower food
This morning (2nd December 2021), Waste Reduction (aka Stirling Community Food) had flowers. Pink lilies, the flowers just beginning to open to reveal dark-speckled, suggestive interiors. Huge sprays of Calla lilies, ready to fill a church or a village hall: wedding or funeral, they wouldn’t care. And dozens and dozens of white roses. Later, we Read More…
All Souls Day
Serafino Celebrations – making YOUR moments last forever. Anna added the date to the card – Halloween 2021 – and slid it into the plastic pocket with the coppery-coloured foil disc. “Are you still bringing those into the house?” Anna shrugged. “They seem to be getting here under their own steam now. This one Read More…
Edinburgh: a tale of two cities
Hannah and I have spent quite a bit of time over the last couple of months (since the formal start of the project in May) looking at waste (and where it ends up) round about Stirling. We’ll be adding blog posts about some of this soon, but I thought I’d start us off with an Read More…
