Garbage day as a symbolic event and urban sign
What is it about?
Garbage day might seem like just a routine chore, but it actually plays a bigger role in shaping how people see themselves as part of a community or nation. This study looks at garbage collection in five Swiss cities, exploring how trash isn’t just waste— it carries meaning and influences how public spaces are organized and controlled. The way we handle garbage reflects social rules, power structures, and even identity. Instead of seeing garbage bags as simple containers, they can be understood as tools that shape how we interact with our surroundings and define who we are.
Why is it important?
What makes this work unique is its unexpected perspective on garbage day—something most people see as a mundane routine. Instead of treating waste collection as just a logistical task, the study explores it as a symbolic, social, and political act. The main findings of this article can be summarised as follows: (a) Garbage as a systems of signs – the study treats waste not just as trash but as a meaningful part of public life, revealing how it communicates social norms, power structures, and governance. (b) Combination of ethnography & visual analysis – by observing garbage day in five Swiss cities and presenting a visual essay, the work blends real-world observations with theoretical analysis, making it both grounded and conceptually rich. (c) Semiotic & studies of governmentality – this study applies theories from semiotics (the study of signs and symbols) and biopolitics (how governments regulate people’s lives) to garbage collection, showing how waste management is tied to control, order, and identity. (d) Rethinking waste practices – rather than seeing garbage bags as neutral objects, the study argues they are performative tools that actively shape public space and social behaviors.