‘Into the Waste’: How Forensic Science Recycle Them? Reflection on the Use of Waste to Understand Criminal Phenomenon

Abstract

The practice of forensic science relies on the application of scientific principles and techniques for the questioning of ‘traces’, sometimes referred as ‘physical evidence’. These traces represent the remnants of a past event or phenomenon, and the information they convey is generally gathered with the purpose to reconstruct and clarify what happened. Waste material can sometimes compose such traces that can be used in a forensic perspective to collect relevant information, and provide intelligence. The search in garbage containers in general crime scene processing, or the recovery of deleted files in digital forensic are almost routine examples of evidence gathered through the scrutiny of ‘waste’. In this article, we suggest to expand the scope of valorization of waste material beyond its use for traditional criminal investigation, in order to gain actionable knowledge on broader security issues, such as the consumption of an illicit substance or the source of hidden harms. Attention on this issue is drawn through the discussion of three examples of ongoing research initiatives, related to waste water analysis, residual content of syringes, and environmental forensic.