Prior to the 1950s municipal landfills were not a common feature in the United States and were little more than open pits where all types of wastes were discarded. But manufacturing processes, consumer behavior, and the invention of plastics created a massive influx of nonbiodegradable and nonrecyclable products.1 This led to a solid-waste disposal problem, with municipalities increasingly pressured to provide solutions. The postwar era of household consumption was reflected in a 1955 Life magazine article titled “Throwaway Living” that celebrated discarding items after a single use as a time saver for a busy household.2 This evolving solid-waste crisis spread across the world with individual municipalities tasked with finding solutions that are environmentally sound, politically feasible, and fiscally responsible. In the 1980s, Davis County, Utah's waste-management focus emphasized the financial potential of its waste streams while minimizing other concerns. This encouraged more waste and delayed the implementation of...

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