Ten minutes before noon on January 9, the room filled with the sounds of scraping chairs, laughter, greetings, rejoined conversations and chit-chat - the sounds of ease and familiarity with place and each other. Folks were there to hear producer/writer Bob Niemack give a presentation about garbage. When asked why she chose to attend, Barbara Madden quickly replied “My friends are here; where else would I be?” After a few seconds she added, “The topic was also of interest.” When replying to the same question, Debbie Jigamian noted Bob’s “reputation as a gifted documentarian." LuCinda Haagenson, on the other hand, was there to see if the video spoke the truth. “We were promised that sorting garbage and trash would help prevent climate change. We were lied to.”

The event that Friday was a screening of “Modern Marvels: Garbage,” a TV documentary written and produced by Villager Bob Niemack and first aired on the History Channel in 2002. This gathering was the third in a series featuring Bob’s films entitled “TV: Behind the Scenes.” The first two were presented last fall and included “Beyond Death” and “The Singing Cowboys Ride Again.”

Bob was born in Pasadena, graduated from PHS and Occidental College. For 50 years he produced, directed, wrote and/or edited stories of the struggles, dreams, and achievements of real people. He edited the Oscar and Emmy-winning documentary “Scared Straight!” He has received seven Emmys, three ACE Awards and a Peabody Award. Most recently he produced and directed several projects for Griffith Observatory.

The “TV: Behind the Scenes” series continues a tradition established by Patrick Donavan, film editor, producer-director, recipient of 8 Emmys and founding member of the Village. He regularly presented screenings of his documentaries at the Village. Patrick passed in May 2025.

Made twenty-five years ago, “Garbage” explores issues that remain very much part of today’s public debate. For that reason, Bob believes “they warrant a revisit and the Village is the perfect place to do that. Villagers for the most part are open, willing, well read, and bring knowledge, sophistication and interesting ideas to the table. ‘TV: Behind the Scenes’ is another way of opening interesting conversations examining current unfolding opinions on social issues and policy.”

“Garbage” begins with hunter-gatherers who dropped their waste where it was created. Trash became more of a nuisance when people started living in cities. Rome had dumps outside the city; dead animals and human bodies in ancient Chinese cities were removed by the government; and Islamic cities were flushed daily as required by Islamic laws of cleanliness. These were largely done for aesthetic reasons. The link between disease and decaying organic matter had not yet been made. The Medieval European urban practice of throwing food scraps and feces out the window into the street was largely responsible for the many plagues decimating the European population by 30-50%. Behavior started to change in the 1840s when studies in London established a correlation between poverty and filthy living conditions. Cities in Europe and the US organized clean up campaigns to remove waste from the homes of the poor and streets of their neighborhoods believing such action would reduce poverty. The garbage-disease link was finally established as the germ theory took hold in the 1880s.

By 1900, the trash industry, including landfills, incinerators and recycling, would be recognizable to us 125 years later. In spite of Rachel Carson’s 1962 warning in “Silent Spring,” problems emanating from the use of plastics, pesticides and chemical fertilizers have only become more perplexing. A few years later, orbital debris and nuclear waste would present even greater challenges. Plastic recycling is costly and complicated, removal of orbital debris expensive, and nuclear waste detoxification technology non-existent.

As a trash collector for the city of Pasadena when a young man and as a life-long recycling practitioner, Bob offered several tips:

Recycle plastics labeled 1, 2 and 5.
Clean plastic bottles and replace the lids before placing them in a bin.
Food waste is now processed into biofuel …wrap it in a plastic bag and place in a green waste container.
Lobby to reduce dependence on plastic wrap and plastic bags.
And finally… Trader Joe’s on Arroyo refunds deposits on glass wine bottles.

In the twenty-five years since “Garbage” aired, landfills grew taller and more toxic and the debate expanded to include environmental degradation, more and greater health risks and climate change. We created a waste stream we don’t know how to handle. Several members including Debbie and LuCinda expressed continued skepticism regarding the benefits of recycling. Doreen Allen reminded us that funding for pilot programs and technology to clean up plastics and nuclear waste were cut by the current administration.

Bob hopes to continue monthly screenings of his documentaries. His next one will be “Shoot/Don’t Shoot,” examining the moment a police officer must decide whether to pull the trigger. Watch the Village Calendar for more information.

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