Published in 2006, this ambitious handbook aims to tackle the recycling issue from all angles -- from the urgency of resource depletion on a global scale to what the individual reader can do in their own home, from corporate strategies for a greener future to burgeoning small scale eco-design projects.

The book features sections on key recyclable materials: paper, plastic, metal, glass, household waste, and compost. Each material is explained in depth; how it is sourced, its impact on the environment, and how it can be recycled.

Case studies from all over the world illustrate innovative approaches to recycling. Highlights include prison composting in New York, the Norwegian "recycling lottery," Ireland's plastic bag tax, and Brazilian "eco-cities."

A consumer directory of eco designers follows; chairs made out of bathtubs, bags made out of billboard banners, and tiles made from melted mobile phones are just some of the creative uses that designers and artists have found for waste products.

The book concludes with an international directory of organizations and charities that facilitate recycling in the 21st century.