What About Apple Cores and Banana Peels?

From a very young age, we are usually taught that throwing trash on the ground or from a car window is littering…and wrong. When most of us consider trash and littering, we think of items like water bottles, soda cans, bags and wrappers from take-out, and the number one most littered item in America…..cigarette butts. But what about apple cores and banana peels?

Although it seems harmless, and maybe even beneficial, to throw these items onto the ground, it does cause issues we may have never thought of and is illegal.
When this question was posed as a topic of discussion in several forums, the vast majority of comments were of a similar nature saying that there isn’t any harm in throwing apple cores, banana peels, and even chicken bones, gum or half-eaten sandwiches onto the ground. Most, of course, felt it was only alright if they were thrown into a field or wooded area but not in someone’s yard or on the sidewalk. Some did, however, find it to be just as bad as the soda cans and fast food bags that there is certainly no gray area on and that it’s just plain wrong.

Why do we think this type of “littering” isn’t really littering at all? Two main reasons come up most frequently.

1. Animals Will Eat It. Throwing an apple core or the rest of a sandwich onto the ground will attract animals, but this could pose a problem if the food landed in a roadway. Also, very few raccoons eat cheeseburgers or orange peels. They may appreciate an apple core, but some of the food waste that we litter will just simply sit and rot.

2. It’s Organic…It’s Probably Good For The Soil. Although it would seem that natural materials like fruit peelings and cores would richen the soil, disposing of organic material into an area can cause problems by introducing new and different types of mold spores and bacteria to that area.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food waste is the single largest type of waste entering our landfills. Contrary to what we may think, although food waste is biodegradable, the process is lengthier than we realize. It would only stand to reason that a few hot days and a rainstorm later, food waste litter would be all but gone. Below is a list of commonly littered food waste and the approximate length of time it takes to biodegrade.

• Apple Core - 2 months
• Banana Peel – 3-4 weeks
• Orange Peel – 6 months
• Bread – 3-4 weeks
• McDonald’s Hamburger – Um….never. And nothing will come by and eat it, not even mold or fungi. (Think about THAT next time you’re going through the drive-thru or feeding it to your kids).

In Indiana, littering is a Class B infraction punishable by a fine up to $1,000 ((Ind. Codes §35-45-3-2 and §34-28-5-4(b)). For littering within 100 feet of a body of water, class A infraction punishable by a fine up to $1,000. Locally, however, the fines range from $125 - $300 and is equal to a moving violation like failure to yield or running a red light. Hmmm….who knew?

So, although it seems quite harmless to rid yourself or your car of a half-eaten apple or the last bite of hamburger, it makes more sense to hold onto it and dispose of it properly.

For more information on waste disposal options visit www.wasteawaygroup.com.

ncsl.org
usda.gov
recycling.about.com
answers.com
thelaw.tv 
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