Rubbish Collection

Ravenscraig Steel Works, Motherwell, 1978
Ravenscraig, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, Scotland

Children playing in the back alleys of a Goven tenement block. September 1956

Flood at Johnstown / USA
A mother watches helplessly as her husband and young duaghter are swept away by the raging waters of a flood that hit Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Two young men sorting through a pile of scrap metal
Two young men, one in a top hat, the other in a bowler hat, sorting through a rather unpromising pile of scrap metal in a junk yard

WW2 - Recycling cans to aid war effort in East Ham, London
WW2 - Recycling tin cans to aid the war effort in East Ham, London - April, 1940. Date: 1940

Teddy Bear (with hidden objects)

Piles of rubbish in Soho, London, during the dustmens strike. 30th January 1979

Vehicle engine scrap metal

220 litres compost bin made by Blackwall using 100% recycled plastic Cotswolds UK
MAB-203 220 litres compost bin made by Blackwall using 100% recycled plastic Cotswolds UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Gulls mainly Herring and Black-headed Gulls on rubbish tip Edgfield Norfolk winter

Compost / wormery - worms visible amongst variety of kitchen waste including vegetable and fruit peelings
MAB-391 Compost / wormery - worms visible amongst variety of kitchen waste including vegetable and fruit peelings and cardboard in top of black plastic recycled composting bin UK Mark Boulton Please

Blitz in London -- pulling debris clear, WW2
Blitz in London -- firefighters pulling debris clear following an air raid. Date: 1940s

The barge Mocking Bird at low tide at Gravesend Reach, Kent. 1938
The barge " Mocking Bird " at low tide at Gravesend Reach, Kent. 1938

Texel Sheep - lamb playing with chocolate wrapping paper, Island of Texel, Holland
USH-3964 Texel Sheep - lamb playing with chocolate wrapping paper Island of Texel, Holland Duncan Usher Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Abandoned rural branch line signal box, Worcestershire, England. Photograph by Norman Synge Waller Budd

derelict houses in Manchester UK
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Defoes Manuscript of Robinson Crusoe rejected by the Publishers
NWP153582 Defoes Manuscript of Robinson Crusoe rejected by the Publishers by Ward, Edward Matthew (1816-79); 67x89 cm; Newport Museum and Art Gallery

Boy with bicycle wheel, Balham, SW London
A little boy with a bicycle wheel on a Balham street, SW London. Date: circa 1961

Food waste recycling lorry collecting hotel food waste Lynmouth Devon UK
MAB-1364 Food waste recycling lorry collecting hotel food waste Lynmouth Devon UK Mark Boulton contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Supermarket trolleys thrown into Whitehaven harbour by vandals, Cumbria, UK
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Strandline plastic litter, Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Andrew Davies / SpecialistStock

Chips made from recycled plastic bottles are seen before being processed at the Weeco plastic recycling factory at the Athi River industrial zone near Nairobi, Kenya, May 15, 2019

Discarded TV a071519
A discarded television beside a row of four dustbins outside a house in Kentish Town, Camden, Greater London. Photographed by John Gay

8622546

Mr Whiteley's design for central heating and hot water system
5307929 Mr Whiteley's design for central heating and hot water system.; (add.info.: Illustration depicting Mr Whiteley's design for central heating)

Refuse collection, Sheffield (b/w photo)
8635905 Refuse collection, Sheffield (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Refuse collection, Sheffield, Yorkshire)

17th century city scene. A man carries a woman pedestrian on his back through a flooded road
1000922 17th century city scene. A man carries a woman pedestrian on his back through a flooded road. From Illustrierte Sittengeschichte vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Eduard Fuchs

Turbines on the Portrush railway, Ireland
5311972 Turbines on the Portrush railway, Ireland; (add.info.: Engraving depicting turbines on the Portrush railway, Ireland. This was the first railway to be powered by hydroelectricity)

Itinerant fishwoman with basket of sprats on her head, and a Dustman with bell collecting dust
FLO4688672 Itinerant fishwoman with basket of sprats on her head, and a Dustman with bell collecting dust, ashes and other household waste

New student moving into filthy rooms in a college at Oxford University. College Comforts
FLO4618879 New student moving into filthy rooms in a college at Oxford University. College Comforts, a Freshman taking possession of his Rooms

Saving waste paper for the war effort, World War II (b/w photo)
8672638 Saving waste paper for the war effort, World War II (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Saving waste paper for the war effort, World War II)

"Reel" Money (litho)
8663497 "Reel" Money (litho) by Poy (Percy Hutton Fearon) (1874-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: "Reel" Money)

The Rabshakeh before the Walls of Jerusalem, 701 BC (litho)
8661278 The Rabshakeh before the Walls of Jerusalem, 701 BC (litho) by Villegas y Cordero, Jose (1844-1921) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Rabshakeh before the Walls of Jerusalem)

Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho)
8642582 Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s)

Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho)
8641520 Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s)

Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho)
8641519 Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s)

Cartoon commenting on the Californian Gold Rush
5308809 Cartoon commenting on the Californian Gold Rush; (add.info.: Cartoon commenting on the Californian Gold Rush. During this time urban rubbish was taken to dust yards to be sifted and sorted)

Sewage system of a modern city, Schoeneberg, Germany (colour litho)
8663662 Sewage system of a modern city, Schoeneberg, Germany (colour litho) by Dressel, August (b.1862) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sewage system of a modern city, Schoeneberg, Germany)

Where the Feathers Go (litho)
8663503 Where the Feathers Go (litho) by Poy (Percy Hutton Fearon) (1874-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: Where the Feathers Go)

Votaries of the Weed No 46 (colour litho)
8660533 Votaries of the Weed No 46 (colour litho) by Clarke, Joseph Clayton (Kyd) (1856-1937); Private Collection; (add.info.: Votaries of the Weed, No 46)

The Jumble Man (litho)
8636075 The Jumble Man (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Jumble Man. Illustration for Panpipes magazine, November 1923)

Cartoon depicting a refuse collector calling for rubbish as he passes through a street in London. 1850 (engraving)
5669483 Cartoon depicting a refuse collector calling for rubbish as he passes through a street in London. 1850 (engraving); Universal History Archive/UIG.

The process of collecting manure in a farmyard
5307481 The process of collecting manure in a farmyard.; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the process of collecting manure in a farmyard)

Lost time (colour litho)
8633163 Lost time (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Lost time. Illustration for The Children's Friend (1900).); © Look and Learn.

Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho)
8641521 Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Recycling machine in Westminster, London, 1920s)

Transport (litho)
8663504 Transport (litho) by Poy (Percy Hutton Fearon) (1874-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: Transport. Eric: "I don't see why it shouldn't work)

What are "The Middle Classes?" (litho)
8663498 What are "The Middle Classes?" (litho) by Poy (Percy Hutton Fearon) (1874-1945); Private Collection; (add.info.: What are "The Middle Classes)

English pewter chamber pot, circa 1770-1780
3029976 English pewter chamber pot, circa 1770-1780; Private Collection; (add.info.: English pewter chamber pot, circa 1770-1780); © Don Troiani. All Rights Reserved 2022.

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From the industrial wastelands of Ravenscraig Steel Works to the serene gardens of England, rubbish tells tales of our past and present. In 1978, amidst the towering structures of Motherwell, Scotland, a generation witnessed the rise and fall of an iconic steel industry. Meanwhile, in an English garden in September, a willow enclosure discreetly concealed wheelie bins filled with discarded remnants of daily life. In another corner of the world, two young men meticulously sorted through a pile of scrap metal, breathing new life into forgotten treasures. Across continents and time periods alike, floods ravaged towns like Johnstown in the USA while war efforts during WW2 saw cans recycled in East Ham to aid those fighting for freedom. Amidst these stories lies unexpected beauty - hidden objects nestled within teddy bears or playful lambs frolicking with chocolate wrapping paper on Texel Island in Holland. Even vehicle engines find solace as scrap metal waiting for their chance at rebirth. Nature too finds its place among rubbish heaps - gulls gracefully soaring above Norfolk's Edgfield rubbish tip during winter months or worms diligently working their magic within compost bins made from recycled plastic in Cotswolds UK. And then there are moments that define resilience - London's Blitz where debris was pulled clear by determined hands during WW2. These acts remind us that even amidst destruction and chaos, we have the power to rebuild and transform waste into something meaningful. Rubbish may be seen as unwanted refuse but it holds stories untold; fragments that connect us across time and space, and is a reminder that what we discard today has consequences tomorrow – urging us to rethink our relationship with waste and embrace sustainable practices for a better future.