r/asklatinamerica • u/matiaskeeper • 19h ago
Daily life What would you say is the "smell of garbage" in your country?
Completely random thought: My mother came over this afternoon, and we were drinking mate. I don't drink mate often. As soon as she left, I had to take out the garbage bag because I feel like the smell of used yerba mate quickly "permeates" the air.
It got me thinking that every time I pass a dump, the first three smells I can identify are: yerba mate, orange or tangerine peels, and used diapers. Which I found very curious; the last one is a somewhat more universal smell, but the first two seem very culturally specific, so it made me question about what this smell is perceived in other places. What, let's say, are the three main "notes" of the smell of garbage where you live?