Learn Spanish (Latin America): Deja de esparcir tanto los desperdicios como la basura. - Stop scattering both the waste and the garbage.

This is a fixed correlative structure that translates to "both [A] and [B]". When you sandwich items between tanto and como, you are putting them on equal footing. Here, it means "both the waste and the garbage".

Why is "stop scattering" translated as deja de esparcir instead of using the verb parar?

To tell someone to quit doing an action, Spanish typically uses the phrase dejar de plus an infinitive (here, esparcir). While parar means "to stop", it is mostly used for bringing physical motion to a halt, like stopping a car.

Is there a significant difference between los desperdicios and la basura?

They are close synonyms, but la basura is the standard, everyday word for "trash" or "garbage". Los desperdicios usually refers to "waste", "leftovers", or "scraps" (especially food scraps or manufacturing waste).

Since this lesson focuses on conque (so / so then), how would it work if added to this sentence?