The strange beauty of piles of waste awaiting a brand new life

THIS is more than just any old pile of garbage – it “emanates a strange beauty”, according to Belgian photographer Paul Bulteel, who wants to put a positive spin on rubbish.

The materials, photographed at recycling plants across Europe, are destined for future products. “Photos of waste are almost always taken from a negative point of view,” he says. “The positive aspect of recycling has not been documented as thoroughly.”

Bulteel, a retired engineer, spent over a year visiting 50 recycling centres. He was surprised by the range of companies in this sector today, and the unexpected aesthetics of rubbish.

The main image above, for example, shows bales of polypropylene, a polymer extracted from carpets that can be repurposed to make felt. The colourful image below is of shredded polyurethane, which can be reused in packaging and soundproofing.

Bulteel, whose photos are now on show at the gallery Anastasia Photo in New York City, hopes viewers will become more aware of how much they discard. Worldwide, the average person chucks away around 1.2 kilograms of rubbish every day.

Another motivation is to boost recycling, particularly in countries like the US, whose rates are well behind those of Western Europe. The images from this project are collected in a photobook, cycle & recycle.

Photographer
Paul Bulteel, paulbulteel.eu, Images courtesy of Anastasia Photo

This article appeared in print under the headline “Load of rubbish”