In speaking with a local parks administrator, we saw "litter" on the path...an apple...a banana peel. He picked up the trash and put in a small bag. We continued speaking of park improvement and acessibility. When we reached the parking lot he tossed the ba in the trash can, it now had papers and cig butts, cans, and wrapers. I asked him why he picked up the apple and the banana peel. he laughed and told me "how many banan trees do you see arond here? i said none. he said exactly, not native, not natural to the area...litter. The apple I said..."what varity of apple was that..... dont know...he said me either.
He told about a time when fined a girl for tossing a banana peel. She showed up at court with her father and their counsel. the judge did not fine her....but gave here 120 hrs comunity service (trash duty at the parks).
I consider myself a stronger than most proponet of natural habitat adn good envionemental practices...but i learned that even "biodegradable" banana peel is litter.
What things do you know of that are litter, that others may think is not?

If i am on the highway I throw my organic material out the window.

What things do you know of that are litter, that others may think is not?


threads in the wrong forum :p

You're right... moving it to Environmental Issues :)

I guess litter is relative. In the forest I wouldn't consider a banana peal or apple to be litter, however on the streets of Boston, it's litter. A paper bag will biodegrade rather quickly, but it's litter in both the city and in the forest.

I guess litter is relative. In the forest I wouldn't consider a banana peal or apple to be litter, however on the streets of Boston, it's litter. A paper bag will biodegrade rather quickly, but it's litter in both the city and in the forest.
I agree. I wouldn't think twice about leaving fruit remains in the wild. I'd just figure it would make a good snack for an animal. But throwing it on the sidewalk or street would be entirely different.

A lot of people around here seem to think that cigarette butts aren't litter. They tend to throw them on the ground & out of their car windows a lot. :mad: One of my pet peeves!

man does it ever piss me off when people throw butts out the window. ( haha i said butt.... )

I guess litter is relative. In the forest I wouldn't consider a banana peal or apple to be litter, however on the streets of Boston, it's litter. A paper bag will biodegrade rather quickly, but it's litter in both the city and in the forest.

So if you were walking along the forest enjoying the natural scenery. You come across a nice spot for a picnic, you lay down your blanket and hmm theres a bunch of banana peals and apple cores laying about. This wouldnt bother you a bit?

So if you were walking along the forest enjoying the natural scenery. You come across a nice spot for a picnic, you lay down your blanket and hmm theres a bunch of banana peals and apple cores laying about. This wouldnt bother you a bit?

It wouldn't bother me. There's animal crap and rotting trees, snakes, rats, mice, etc. that are natural but I find kind of gross. If I came across a pile of peels and cores I'd just put some soil or organic matter over them to help them biodegrade faster.

So if you were walking along the forest enjoying the natural scenery. You come across a nice spot for a picnic, you lay down your blanket and hmm theres a bunch of banana peals and apple cores laying about. This wouldnt bother you a bit?


I wouldn't consider "a nice spot for a picnic" to be where "a bunch of banana peals and apple cores" are. So the scenario could never happen to me.

Yeah, seeing apple cores and banana peels in the woods would be very annoying. Carry it out with you.

I believe in 'leave no trace'.

I wouldn't consider "a nice spot for a picnic" to be where "a bunch of banana peals and apple cores" are. So the scenario could never happen to me.

hmm, so pretty much having a picnic there was ruined for you, atleast in that spot, such a shame, after all, it was a perfect spot for a picnic WITHOUT THE APPLE CORES AND BANANAS. It is litter.

For you, Majake, it's littler, for me, it's not. Guess we've proven my statement in my first post, "I guess litter is relative."

I find the cement path that leads to the picnic site more like litter than organic waste.

For you, Majake, it's littler, for me, it's not. Guess we've proven my statement in my first post, "I guess litter is relative."

why wouldnt think it a good place to have a picnic with apple cores and banana peels laying about? certainly you wouldnt think the same about the pine cones and pine needles laying about. why? cause its litter, its human garbage.

why dont we just throw all the apples cores and banana peels in the forest, its not like its litter or anything. :mad: