What is considered litter?

[WindingRoad]

Do any of you ever pitch out banana peels, apple cores, sunflower seed shells or orange peels while driving or riding your bike? Not in someone's yard but in places they won't hurt anything. I was under the impression that things that are organic were going to break down much faster being exposed to the elements as opposed to being stuck in the trash to go to a landfill? :confused:

[MartianDestiny]

But they are non-native in most places you'd be throwing them and they can still cause problems.

Leave no trace really means leave NO trace, not leave no inorganic trace. I pack everything out, always.

[Trek420]

As far as litter laws are concerned the only thing legal to toss out of a moving vehicle which would include our bikes are: chicken feathers or water.

[RolliePollie]

I would personally consider these types of items litter. Now if you found a compost pile to throw them on, that would be great. But sometimes a place that you think it's ok to throw these things is really not ok to the property owner. I used to live on a large piece of rural property and we got very tired of finding banana peels and other discarded food items constantly thrown onto our property. I'm sure people viewed it as wild natural land, but we considered it our yard. It attracted racoons and skunks, it stunk, and items with seeds would sometimes sprout the next spring. Plus you'd be surprised how long it actually takes this stuff break down and disappear. We would end up going out and cleaning it up ourselves, which was really maddening and really gross.

I don't mean to attack you, but because of my own experience with people throwing this type of stuff on my property, it's kind of a pet peeve of mine. I would just wait til you get to a garbage can or throw it on your compost pile at home.

[witeowl]

As much as I agree that these things shouldn't go into landfills where they won't readily decompose, even biodegradable items (peels, cores, etc.) won't decompose that quickly because the situation needs to be just right for rapid decomposition. Likely, if they appear to disappear quickly, they've become food for critters that shouldn't/wouldn't normally eat those items. (Or a human has cleaned them up.)

If you want to be eco-friendly, start a compost bin in your back yard. Trek it in, trek it out, throw it in your compost.

[lph]

In the mountains this is a pet peeve of mine, because orange peel and banana peel take AGES to decompose in a cold environment. They're not harmful in any way, but look very unappealing to all passersby. (Not to mention toilet paper :mad:) I try to consider this in the lowlands as well, I wil leave biodegradable stuff in the woods but I stuff it under a rock or hide it so that it will decompose without being visible. I try to not just "toss" stuff where I can't control where it ends up, except apple cores maybe, they rot fast.

Good thread.

[Becky]

I vote with the others: it's litter.

As for citrus peels, they don't break down as quickly as you might think, despite being natural. I dont put them in my compost bin because, even under ideal conditions, they don't degrade fast enough to make for useable compost.

[KnottedYet]

I would personally consider these types of items litter. Now if you found a compost pile to throw them on, that would be great. But sometimes a place that you think it's ok to throw these things is really not ok to the property owner. I used to live on a large piece of rural property and we got very tired of finding banana peels and other discarded food items constantly thrown onto our property. I'm sure people viewed it as wild natural land, but we considered it our yard. It attracted racoons and skunks, it stunk, and items with seeds would sometimes sprout the next spring. Plus you'd be surprised how long it actually takes this stuff break down and disappear. We would end up going out and cleaning it up ourselves, which was really maddening and really gross.

I don't mean to attack you, but because of my own experience with people throwing this type of stuff on my property, it's kind of a pet peeve of mine. I would just wait til you get to a garbage can or throw it on your compost pile at home.


Me, too. Cleaning up along our rural fence line was a disgusting job.

[witeowl]

I dont put them in my compost bin because, even under ideal conditions, they don't degrade fast enough to make for useable compost.

Really? I've never had a problem getting my citrus peels to decompose. Mold takes care of them pretty quickly (the process typically starts while they're still sitting in my kitchen counter collector.) Of course, I have a multi-bin system and am willing to sift out my finished compost from stuff that's still fodder for the microherd, but it's never citrus peels that get thrown back into the bin because they're not composted yet.

Or are you talking about vermicomposting? I could see the wormies not taking well to citrus.

[Trek420]

I'm with the other composters. In terms of the bin what's the big rush? If it doesn't "cook" as soon as other material just toss it back, it will break down eventually. :cool:

But yeah, this is a personal pet peeve, we are supposed to be the ones who love the outdoors yet our trails, even organized events are surprisingly littered with organic and inorganic gunk. There's even been an Everest climb just to clean up the trash:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4672545.stm

[channlluv]

Not to hijack the thread, but can you ladies recommend a good compost system? I'd like to start one. I may have to move it later. Portable would be good.

Thanks,

Roxy

[Mr. Bloom]

I don't generally toss anything. But on rare occassions where I do, I don't feel bad if I can answer three simple questions:
- is it natural?
- will it rot quickly? Example - nothing rots in the winter, so it matters
- will it create a hazard? Example - banana peels in the roadway

Yes,Yes, No, brings little guilt

JMHO

[Becky]

Really?

Really. Maybe it's the conditions here, the conditions in my bin, or my general laziness when it comes to composting, but I was frequently finding pieces of citrus in my otherwise-finished compost. So I stopped composting them.

[witeowl]

Not to hijack the thread, but can you ladies recommend a good compost system? I'd like to start one. I may have to move it later. Portable would be good.

I made a trash can composter (http://organicgardening.about.com/od/compost/a/cancomposter.htm). Well, three, actually, but I started with one. I have more-but-smaller holes in my trash can(s) and have set them up on cinder blocks to deter ants (dunno how the blocks work, but they do).

When I want to do a simple mix, I throw the can on its side and roll it around. When I have time for a better mix, I take a little garden fork and mix it around better (typically by dumping it into a wheelbarrow, stirring, and shoveling it back).

The benefit of three cans is that I only add material to the newest can, so the other two can sit and rot (and be stirred occasionally.) I'll sift compost out of the oldest can, dump anything not fully composted into the middle can, and then the newly-emptied barrel will become my newest compost bin. (Did that make sense?)

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm passionate about composting, so I'm happy to answer any questions you have. :)

Ooh, back on topic!

Regarding Mr. Silver's three-point rule: Even if it's natural, rots quickly, and doesn't create a hazard, I wouldn't toss it. Think about what would happen if everyone threw their apple cores in the gutter during summer. Ew. So if I don't want all my neighbors doing it, I can't do it.

[Trek420]

Not to hijack the thread, but can you ladies recommend a good compost system? I'd like to start one. I may have to move it later. Portable would be good.

Thanks,

Roxy

I use a Williams Sonoma stacking system I got on a promotion from my local Waste Management dept. Ordered through them it cost about $25.00. It's labor intensive, it's a box in three segments. For me it only gets really full in Fall when I add the accumulated patio leaves. You turn the compost within the box and/or move it from one segment to the other.

OTOH very portable, it's modular plastic so just break it down, clean it up and move.

[Grog]

As a rule of thumb, think about the answer to this question:

How would this place look if every single person passing by discarded a _[insert name of the item you're thinking about discarding]___?

If the sight is not pretty, then don't do it.

[bmccasland]

Back when I was in college, in Tucson, I used to love hiking in the mountains north of the city. Tried a little experiment while on a hike on the north side of the mountain. For those not familiar with arid ecology, the north side of mountains will be moister than the southern slopes. Took my left over orange peel, rolled a rock over, stuck it underneath. Several months later, late fall, as I recall, I rolled the rock back - the orange peel was still there. Packed out the peel. Haven't discarded an orange peel to the wild ever since. And if I'm inclinded to compost them, I chop them into bits.

I put everything vegetable matter in my compost pile here - but then I live in a hot muggy climate that gets lots of rain (more than Seattle!). Everything rots or molds here, or grows with absolute wild abandon.

[maryellen]

can you ladies recommend a good compost system?

Move to NYC?! I have a most excellent compost system: M, W, F, Sa I can drop off my compostables at the green market 2 blocks away from home! Once or twice a year, I get a coupon to pick up soil. Sometimes living in NYC is very convenient. :p

[Trek420]

Move to NYC?! I have a most excellent compost system: M, W, F, Sa I can drop off my compostables at the green market 2 blocks away from home! Once or twice a year, I get a coupon to pick up soil. Sometimes living in NYC is very convenient. :p

But that's too much like right :cool:

Most of us pay for our produce most of which goes to waste; the outer leaves of the romaine lettuce for Caesar salad, peels and core from the apple, the above and afore mentioned orange peel etc, then we pay someone to haul it away most of which does NOT get composted, then when you need compost you buy it. Now that's the good ol' American way.

Drop off the compostables and get a coupon? Where's the profit in that? :p ;)

[Jolt]

Regarding Mr. Silver's three-point rule: Even if it's natural, rots quickly, and doesn't create a hazard, I wouldn't toss it. Think about what would happen if everyone threw their apple cores in the gutter during summer. Ew. So if I don't want all my neighbors doing it, I can't do it.

+1 on this. Even natural, biodegradable garbage is still garbage and as such, should be packed out! Who wants to find somebody else's apple cores, banana peels etc. along the trail? Yuck.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have a worm composting bin right in my kitchen. Most of our kitchen refuse goes in there, and three months later I get rich worm castings in return, which I use as fertilizer in my garden. I can't believe how much less gets thrown out in the trash (and off to the landfill) now. People can do this even in apartments, with a little rubbermaid tub under their sink, under the bed, or in a closet.

[channlluv]

I'm pretty sure I could not have a compost anything in my kitchen. We have really aggressive ants here in San Diego and it's a constant battle as it is.

I'll look into composters through our local waste management company, though. A friend told me that a nearby city was doing something similar to what Trek mentioned, so maybe ours is, too.

Roxy

[marni]

another thing is that when you toss anything organic out where people have domestic animals, or grazing animals, you are throwing out something that could potentially poison or make those animals ill. Just finished having my dog treated for vomiting and possible poisoning or pancreatitis from eating roadside trash along the street edge of our yard that got tossed out between the morning and evening trash patrols and got into the dog before I could get it.

If you can carry it in, you can carry it out. Please do so at all times. My yard is not your garbage can or compost heap.

hippie biker chick
sugarland, texas