Author:Matt Barlow, an anthropology PhD student at the University of Adelaide, exploring waste as a method of understanding various material and immaterial transformations in Kochi, Kerala. He is also an artist and arts writer. Follow him on Twitter at @_mattbarlow.

After a long day of trying to negotiate some waste management protocols for the upcoming Kochi-Muziris Biennale, I took a walk to the beach. I was used to seeing the sand coated in washed up Styrofoam, thongs, coconut shells, and water hyacinth. However, on this day I was greeted with tractors, preparing the beach for tourist season.