I say it's unsightly and should not be done. My friends think it's biodegradable so it's ok. What are your thoughts and what do you do?.
2007-08-21 07:04:07 · 20 answers · asked by Mary 1 in Sports ➔ Outdoor Recreation ➔ Camping
It may be biodegradable, but...if everyone does it the trail will look like a pig pen. Besides, in some areas (like above treeline) chemical and biological reactions are slow and it takes a LONG time for things to degrade. It's much better to pick up your trash and bring it down to the trailhead and dispose of it properly. if you pack it in, you need to pack it out (including your toilet paper).
There is a wilderness ethic called "Leave No Trace" that encourages people to impact the wilderness as little as possible when enjoying it.
2007-08-22 05:35:07 · answer #1 · answered by Wayne B 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I hate to see that sort of stuff strewn around. As it's biodegradable there's no problem with burying it or even just placing it under a stone or bush but leaving it out in the open just spoils the natural environment for everyone else.
In some dry conditions stuff like orange peel can stick around for a long time before it rots and litter of any description just encourages others to drop litter as well.
There was a recent case in the UK where someone threw a banana skin into some bushes in a park and they were sucessfully prosecuted for littering even though they argued that it was biodegradable. The judge said that until it rotted it was still litter so, in effect, if you want to throw biodegradable litter then you must let it rot down first.
TAKE nothing but photographs
KILL nothing but time
LEAVE nothing but footprints
2007-08-21 14:09:10 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The rule is simple: If you packed it then you pack it out .The idiot excuse of "Well it's biodegradable " is bullspit. If the item doesn't bio-degrade 30 seconds after it hits the ground then its called garbage and the idiot that threw it should be fined for littering .
I and many others put a lot of effort into practicing a " leave no trace " backcountry ethic
I'm sure the a lot of us have hiked out of the back country with 2-3 times the amount of trash that we hiked in with .
If I sound a bit pissed , I am . I really don't like picking up other peoples trash .If it wasn't too heavy to carry in, then it's not too heavy to carry out
2007-08-21 23:48:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I completely agree with the person who said that people shouldn't leave anything on the trail. I don't care what it is; I don't want to see it. Even if it's biodegradable, it's going to stay there for a while, longer than a few days. I want the trail to look as though no one has been there before me and I assume that other people want the same so I pack out any trash that I bring in.
2007-08-21 17:25:40 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all, I do well to hike to my mailbox and back, so it is clearly not a question of what I do. However, the times I am vacationing and walking around sites of interest, it doesn't bother me in the least to see a stray orange rind or peanut shells. These things ARE biodegradable and give something back to the earth, so I think your friends are right. However, you think it is unsightly and should not be done, so no one is going to change your mind.
2007-08-21 14:13:55 · answer #5 · answered by claudiacake 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
YEs, I agree it's somewhat unsightly but it doesn't stay that way for any length of time. Many wild animals and birds will eat orange peels and banana skins, and Peanut shells are hardly an eyesore. If you feel this strongly about something bio-degradable thats a food source, pick them up and but them in a refuse cobtainer when you get back from your hike..
I'd be am am a lot more concerned about people that throw trash ,bottles and cans on the trails
2007-08-21 15:46:29 · answer #6 · answered by JD 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
People shouldn't leave ANYTHING on the trail. It's still litter even if it is biodegradable and if I'm hiking behind someone who'd dumping their peanut shells on my trail I'm yelling at them.
If you don't want to pack it out - then build a pit and bury biodegradable items, or burn them. But leaving them on the trail ruins the asthetic for everyone else who follows. It's selfish and childish.
2007-08-21 14:13:56 · answer #7 · answered by avaheli 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sure it's biodegradable, however just throwing this stuff on the ground shows a definite lack of woodsmanship. Pack it in, pack it out. A true outdoorsman leaves no footprint on the land and tries to leave it more pristine than when he came! Why anyone would trash a place they go to for it's natural beauty is beyond me. Sounds like irresponsible lazy self absorbed idiocy to me!
2007-08-21 14:16:22 · answer #8 · answered by Wounded Duck 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If it's not biodegradable you must carry it to a garbage can - even if that means for several days. If it's biodegradable please don't just toss it around - bury it or at least place it under bushes where everyone else doesn't have to deal with it!
2007-08-21 20:18:55 · answer #9 · answered by happy_southernlady 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not OK!
Always pack out what you pack in. It's just being considerate for other hikers - common courtesy. It doesn't matter if it's biodegradeable or not.
If you bring in food in tupperware, etc, when you close it up put your trash in it. When I finish off a Nalgene, I'll pack it with any other trash I've got (granola bar wrappers, etc.) and bring it back. You're not losing any space and you're still packing less weight heading out than what you brought in.
2007-08-21 14:16:00 · answer #10 · answered by Whit 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋