Is It A Good Idea To Toss That Banana Peel Or Apple Core Outside?

Apple cores and banana peels are biodegradable...right?

I'd like to think most people have enough sense and respect for the environment and others to not throw litter like paper, plastic bags or bottles, or cans out of their vehicle windows. I also think most of us (myself included) have thrown a piece of food, like an apple core or banana peel out of a vehicle window because we've always thought it was okay to do since it's biodegradable or insects or animals will take care of it.

Well, it turns out...we've all been wrong. Mostly.

Those cores and peels and other food particles we throw out are biodegradable, but it turns out they don't degrade very quickly. Experiments have proven that an apple core can take up to two months to degrade and a banana peel can take up to two years. Not as bad as the hundred of years it can take some plastics to degrade, but still not as quick as we think.

As for feeding animals, well, think about it: we don't eat that apple core or banana or orange peel, so why would they? Turns out they won't eat it if it's not part of their daily diet. If they do eat it, we could be making them dependent on us for food instead of themselves. That could lead to malnourishment and death.

The best practice when it comes to food waste is to just toss it in a trash can or bag instead of out a window or in a yard. It's not that hard or time - consuming to do, either.