Waste is ubiquitous and has a multitude of effects on human, animal, and environmental health. Our world is undergoing unpredictable and dramatic changes, from sweeping climate change to technological innovations revolutionizing the minutiae of daily life. Under scrutiny is the sustainability of societies and landscapes and our collective ability to maintain them into the uncertain future. With growing populations and increasing consumption patterns around the world, waste management presents a variety of challenges for urban planning, economic development, local conservation, and public health. Waste is a critical focus for understanding the social, political, economic, aesthetic, and ethical ideologies and values that shape our current mode of existence. For example, in parts of the developing world such as Brazil, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, entire communities have been erected alongside landfills and the waste material is the very source of livelihoods for these marginalised populations. Their engagement with reclaiming waste leads to the burden of social stigma and long-term health consequences. This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of the intersection of life, waste, and sustainability. It will address how the volume and variety of waste is a core concern for understanding the risks to human, animal, marine, and microbial life. Drawing on anthropology, cultural geography, discard studies, environmental studies, science studies, and urban studies, we will apply an eclectic theoretical approach to understand the complexity of waste production, disposal, management, treatment, reuse, and the effects on the health of communities and diverse ecosystems.