An object in our daily everyday life is paper, plastic, and food, which are typically considered as waste.

Mary Douglas’ conception of dirt helps us to understand why this is waste because we package our food in paper containers or containers made of styrofoam. We use plastic cups for our drinks and throw them out. We eat food, but we throw away food or leftover food which is considered as waste. This type of waste can be used for composting to feed our plants or trees the vitamins they need.