Presentation short abstract

Rats are the ultimate waste animal/animal waste as they depend on human waste streams. In fact, they thrive on our waste streams so well, that they are considered highly killable animals. I present here findings from interdisciplinary projects on rats, waste, circular economy, and citizenship.

Presentation long abstract

Waste binds humans as part of the community and the environment: even though we give up excess matter, it might be of interest to other species who find it useful. Many of these species, such as waste-dependent rats, are considered as unwanted. Indeed, rats are so killable that lethal methods, such as rodenticides, have "off-target effects" that are tolerated to a point. As these methods have not won "rat wars", focus has changed to prevention, i.e, reducing food availability for rats. Waste management is thus closely regulated with official rules and societal norms. Or: rats shine light on the shortcomings of circular economy just by appearing.

Drainage plug is a small, yet crucial part for waste bins: taking it away lets the washing water to drain from the bin, but it also allows the rats to gnaw their way into the bin. While rat control professionals agree that it is highly consequential part, there is a disagreement on whose responsibility it is to make sure that the plug is there.

Urban infrastructure comes with individual responsibility, as normative image of "good waste citizen" is produced at the waste bins. There the guidance where to put the garbage, (inside the bin, not outside) enhanced with a picture of rat within a prohibited symbol. Rat control is human control; thus rat presence is sign of wrongly behaving humans.

As the real survivors of the Anthropocene, rats interrogate what is waste, who is citizen, and what are loopholes in circular economy.