Dr Henry Irving: A history of Leeds in five bins

This Cultural Conversation explores the history of Leeds through five different examples of waste disposal. Starting with the unhygienic ash pits of the mid-nineteenth century it will run through experiments with incineration, the rise of the dustbin, wartime recycling schemes and the introduction of wheelie bins at the turn of the millennium.

It will explore how these forms of waste disposal continue to have an impact – from recreation sites built on former landfills to the pigs at Temple Newsam Home Farm. It will also consider what lessons the history of waste disposal might have for the future.

This Cultural Conversation draws on Dr Henry Irving’s British Academy funded project: From Salvage to a Circular Economy, which is a partnership with the environmental charity WRAP. 

This event is part of the Leeds Cultural Conversations series organised by the Centre for Culture and Humanities at Leeds Beckett University.