“I Am Ashamed to Bring My Friends Here.” Exploring Emotional Responses to the Waste-Impacted Landscape of Lagoa De Albufeira, Portugal

This paper explores the emotional impact of landscape degradation in Lagoa de Albufeira, Portugal, due to waste accumulation from the perspective of the local community's relationship with the environment. An ethnographic approach revealed widespread topophobia—a dislike for a place that once brought feelings of well-being. Environmental degradation alters the perception and experience of the landscape, distancing residents from a positive connection with the territory. The inherently interdisciplinary study focuses on the digital community of Lagoa de Albufeira, using Facebook groups as a field of observation and interaction, where residents regularly post about waste accumulated outside containers and on the streets, often including photos, videos, and the exact location of these waste piles. Through this nethnography, it was possible to document the emotional experience of residents concerning living with waste in their surroundings. The analysis of the posts reveals a clear dynamic of aversion, with many participants expressing discomfort and shame regarding the degraded landscape. "I am ashamed to bring my friends here because of the amount of waste" reflects the recurring sentiment among community members. The visual material shared—photos and videos—provides a rich foundation for understanding how waste impacts the perception of place and the emotional relationship of residents with their environment. The daily presence of waste leads to emotional alienation, transforming the home into a space of repulsion. This paper aims to document and analyze the emotional experience of the Lagoa de Albufeira community concerning the landscape of waste, contributing to an interdisciplinary debate on environmental degradation and the emotional implications of living in waste-impacted environments. Furthermore, analyzing the shared emotional experience within this digital community offers valuable insights into the relationships between bodies and environment in the context of anthropocentric landscapes, providing a starting point for broader discussions on landscapes of waste.