The contributions of the present volume 'Waste' are based on an interdisciplinary lecture series of the Collegium generale of the University of Bern during the winter semester of 2001/02. It has succeeded in bringing together not only natural and technical sciences but also humanities and social sciences, as well as theology. The collected works on waste and the littering of our planet demonstrate, in their overall view, not only the historical depth of the issue and both old and new solutions and approaches but also commonalities in the scientific traditions.