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For (2) the tax should also be based on the biodegradability of the materials.

biodegradability of individual items is less of an impact when the majority of trash is disposed in non-degrading plastic trash bags.

Would mechanically shredding trash before being dumped help?

Also moistening the trash before burial, I think.

The gases produce need to be captured and burned, though. All that methane. Interestingly, they also need to be decontaminated of traces of silicon-containing compounds, which can muck up turbines in which they're burned.

Won't this lead to a lot of lightweight material (particularly bits of the bags themselves) blowing off the landfill surface before they can be buried?

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