> a rapid soil and water half-life One should keep in mind that degradation and half-life are technical terms with specific meaning - while the original substa

> a rapid soil and water half-life One should keep in mind that degradation and half-life are technical terms with specific meaning - while the original substance is no more, in no way does it mean the products are less or more toxic. Often they are less toxic or even degrade fully (into CO₂, H₂O etc), for the most part, but not always and all of it. Landfills are one of those places where numerous funny reaction take place, creating wondrous chemicals, that people haven't even dreamed of. That being said, I don't worry much about chemical composition of fruit packaging and their degradation products in non-smoldering landfills.