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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

garbage vs trash

Dear teachers,

When you say "I'm gonna take out the garbage.", what are you actually taking out?
Similarly, when you say "I'm gonna take out the trash.", what are you taking out?
In other words, what is the actual difference between "garbage" and "trash"?

Also, do you have any special names for garbage collecting days and trash collecting days?

Thank you.
  

Top answer

In our town, "garbage" is what comes out of the kitchen- usually there is bits of uneaten food, bones, things like that mixed in. Garbage is smelly. "Trash" is everything else -broken furniture, a dead limb from a tree, a child's plastic wading pool with a hole in it.

— Delmobile

  • In our town, "garbage" is what comes out of the kitchen- usually there is bits of uneaten food, bones, things like that mixed in.
  • Garbage is smelly.
  • "Trash" is everything else -broken furniture, a dead limb from a tree, a child's plastic wading pool with a hole in it.
  • Garbage is placed in a can at the curb for pickup, and trash in a pile.
  • They are collected by different crews, in different kinds of trucks, on different days (garbage once weekly, trash every other week).
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5 Answers
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In our town, "garbage" is what comes out of the kitchen-usually there is bits of uneaten food, bones, things like that mixed in. Garbage is smelly. "Trash" is everything else-broken furniture, a dead limb from a tree, a child's plastic wading pool with a hole in it. Garbage is placed in a can at the curb for pickup, and trash in a pile. They are collected by different crews, in diffe
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DelmobileIn our town, "garbage" is what comes out of the kitchen-usually there is bits of uneaten food, bones, things like that mixed in. Garbage is smelly. "Trash" is everything else-broken furniture, a dead limb from a tree, a child's plastic wading pool with a hole in it. Garbage is placed in a can at the curb for pickup, and trash in a pile. They are coll
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Hi,

I see 'trash' as an Americanism. In Canada, where I live, we say 'garbage'. When I lived in Britain, we said 'rubbish', but I'm not sure if that term is still used.

Clive
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CliveHi,

I see 'trash' as an Americanism. In Canada, where I live, we say 'garbage'. When I lived in Britain, we said 'rubbish', but I'm not sure if that term is still used.

Clive
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Anon,

Where I grew up, the distinction between garbage and trash was the same as described above by Delmobile.

CJ
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