(by Anita Fernandez)
Everyone’s Trash: One Man Against 1.6 Billion Pounds Event
Duncan Watson may have begun his lifelong fight against waste in California, but he has spent the last several decades in Western New Hampshire, educating and reshaping the Keene Recycling Center in the Department of Public Works. In 2024, Duncan released his book, Everyone’s Trash: One Man Against 1.6 Billion Pounds, in which he recounts these past decades and the myriad of professional problem-solving and personal community-building that accompany them.
Each day, every single person in the United States, all 324 million, discards about five pounds of waste. Be it a bottle that gets placed in a recycling bin or a piece of paper crumpled and tossed into the waste bin, every bit of the daily 1.6 billion pounds cast off has a story. This book is full of those stories. It will wake you up and give you hope. As the author, Duncan Watson, says, “More people in America recycle than vote. Recycling is more popular than Democracy!”
Watson has been running the City of Keene’s solid waste program for 33 years. He has brought national attention to the program for solid waste disposal that Keene, NH, has built. He spins a good yarn, and the rich characters who populate the “dump” in Keene, New Hampshire, provide endless entertainment and a lot of laughs. He is also a yoga teacher, dog lover, and he visits Comic Cons all over the country, as he was a voice actor of Charlie Brown in three movies in his youth; “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown”, “You’re a Good Sport, Charlie Brown”, and “Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown.”
“By turns hilarious and heartwarming, distressing and hopeful, Everyone’s Trash is about way more than recycling and trash. It’s a poignant X-ray of a small city’s soul—and a testament to the power of connection, compassion, and community.” — Sy Montgomery, NYT Bestselling author, Soul of the Octopus, Of Time and Turtles
“Duncan Watson turned his passion for recycling trash into creating a nationally recognized facility in southwestern New Hampshire. Now he tells his story, filled with unforgettable characters, self-deprecating humor, and a larger message for today. Like one of those unexpected discoveries many of us have picked up on a visit to our own recycling center, Everyone’s Trash is a treasure.” — Dayton Duncan, author, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
Mark your calendar and join us at the McLane Center in Concord on Saturday, April 18, as Duncan Watson presents on his book and his experiences, including a free book signing following the event. This is a free event, but please register here as space is limited. Visit our Nature Stores or our website to purchase the book.