There is a Problem with Tossing Fruit Litter...

No litter is safe litter, not even an apple core...

Quiz time: You have just finished eating an apple while on a hike. You are on a trail without trash receptacles, what do you do with the apple core?

If you answered “toss it in the bushes” because you always thought fruit remnants are biodegradable and harmless, prepare for a slowly nodding “ahhh” moment....

1. Decomposition Takes Time;

The decomposition of fruit litter takes much longer than you could probably imagine.

These ‘natural’ food items will not decompose quickly. If animals don’t eat the food waste, decomposition will likely take much longer than you expect. Some fruit products can take years to decompose depending on the environment they are in.

2. Problem With Animals Eating Roadside Food Trash;

When animals eat food trash, habituation increases. For instance, food thrown out of a car window can inspire animals to start searching roadsides for treats, upping the chances of being hit. by a car. And consider this, small rodents on the side of the road attract owls and other raptors, “Collisions with vehicles are believed to be among the top five direct causes of bird mortality.

"A few banana peels on the side of a road might not seem like a big deal but it is an action that can have a significant knock-on effect on the natural environment."

3. Food litter bad for native wildlife;

There is also the basic problem of introducing the wrong kind of food to animals, and the local ecosystem.

‘Natural’ food items are also usually not so natural. Apples, bananas, oranges, etc are not native to Glacier National Park. If eaten by wildlife it will likely not digest well since these animals are not accustomed to these foods. Fruit and vegetable seeds that end up on the ground could result in a non-native plant growth.

"That's not part of their natural diet and can give them an upset stomach."

Also;

... And then, of course, there is a simple fact that nobody wants to see somebody else's rotting fruit litter while enjoying the great outdoors.

"Whether it is biodegradable or not - it is still rubbish - it's spoiling the environment visually - it just shows the lack of care for the environment."

Education is the solution;

So, if you have tossed food waste onto the ground, take a mental note to pack it out next time. You are throwing it away and you are encouraging people to do the same.

If you see a friend try to toss food waste, let them know at least one of these reasons why they should pack it out instead.

For those of us usually good with our trash and who may not have known that fruit litter could be a problem - no litter is safe litter ... not even an apple core...!!

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