What’s left Behind?

In cities around the world, waste is an invisible yet persistent presence—what’s left behind doesn’t simply disappear. Our team set out to uncover the imprint of urban waste across Saigon, Barcelona, and Melbourne, revealing the overlooked traces that shape our environments.

Through data collection, heat mapping, and visual transformation, we expose how waste accumulates, how long it lingers, and what it reveals about our global habits. Organic waste fades, plastics persist for centuries, and hazardous materials leave a toxic legacy.

This project is more than data—it’s a reflection on time, materiality, and consequence. We challenge viewers to rethink their relationship with waste: What do we leave behind? How does it shape the cities we inhabit? And what will future generations inherit?

This is not just about tracking waste—it’s about transforming our impact. What’s left behind shapes what’s ahead.

Team28:

Helen Anh Thu Phan (RMIT Vietnam)

Khang Ly (RMIT Vietnam)

Chern Kai TEOH (RMIT Melbourne)

Ben Spangenberg (Elisava Barcelona)

Victor Gutierrez (Elisava Barcelona)