Garbage stinks for the planet. Food waste is a prime carbon emitter. Plastic junk ends up in our oceans. Still, even well-intentioned greenies probably drop their trash in the dumpster (after sorting the compost and recyclables, of course) and don’t think much about their rubbish again.

Photographer Gregg Segal wants to change that. For his ongoing project, “7 Days of Garbage,” Segal shows images of people nestled up to the trash they amassed over a week. Spend a little time with the photographs and it’s hard not to notice the uneaten grub and glut of plastic:

Reader support makes our work possible. Donate today to keep our site free. All donations TRIPLED!
Gregg Segal

Gregg Segal

Gregg Segal 2

Gregg Segal

Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Here’s a little more about the project from Slate:

Segal used natural materials to transform his yard into artificial environments, like a forest floor or a sandy beach or a body of water, where he photographed all his subjects. “I shot from above to make it very clinical and clean and graphic. It’s kind of a nest, a bed we’re lying in with all this stuff, forcing us to reconcile what we’re producing, which hopefully causes some people to think a little bit more about what they’re consuming,” he said.

Garbage selfies, anyone?