An essay in the Wall Street Journal (April 18,2012) describes computers as the top export from China to the US, and garbage as America’s greatest export to China. With Americans generating 7 lbs of garbage per person per day, New York City alone generates 12,000 tons of garbage that has to be trucked over 300 miles to landfills. Should solutions like those in Los Angeles, where a garbage mountain generates gas that can be used for power generation be considered the solution ? Or should new plasma technologies that convert garbage by shrinking it 99% be subsidized to provide the answer ? Or will it require reduced packaging and less disposable product designs to get ourselves out of the garbage trap ?