This doctrine was established in The California v. Greenwood case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that there is no common law expectation of privacy for discarded materials.
After California v. Greenwood there were many cases of individuals having been convicted on evidence that was found in the trash of growing or processing illegal substances, most often marijuana.
[5] The post-consumer waste in question varies from drug paraphernalia to full marijuana plants in some cases.
But it also brings up questions of whether or not people are responsible for their own post consumer waste and the damage that it causes.
There have been several cases in the wake of Greenwood questioning this very thing, such as if it is legal for third parties other than trash collectors to lay claim to someone's refuse or if someone is responsible for hazardous post-consumer waste they disposed of once it enters public landfills.
[9] Food waste from production to land use changes adds to the worldwide carbon footprint with the amount between 2000 and 3600 kg CO2-eq.
[1] Multiple studies have shown that the greenhouse gases caused by our food waste at times can be more harmful to the environment than coal power plants.
Many people accused manufacturers for being responsible for its prevalence due to the many materials not being made with recycling or reuse in mind.
In the European Union, one project is being developed which uses enzymes to dissolve plastic and cardboard waste into basic materials that can be remade into new products for consumer use.
[12] Strategies like this allow for greater control over the issue of post consumer waste without changing the supply chain as a whole.