LITTER’S LASTING LEGACY

In addition to being a pox upon the landscape, the careless leavings of clueless hikers can wreck havoc on public lands for longer than you might think. For instance, did you know that a discarded banana peel might stink up a trail for up to two years? Or that a tossed apple core collected by a squirrel can spoil the animal’s winter food cache? The following chart gives an idea of how long trail trash lingers and also emphasizes how important it is to pack up all hike-generated garbage.






Cigarette butt                         1-5 years
Aluminum can                        80-100 years
Plastic six-pack holder             100 years
Banana and orange peels         2 years
Plastic film containers              20-30 years
Plastic bags                            10-20 years
Glass bottles                           1,000,000 years
Plastic coated paper                 5 years
Plastic water bottle                  indefinitely
Nylon fabric                            30-40 years
Leather                                   50 years
Wool socks                              1-5 years
Tin can                                    50 years



For more information about how to minimize your impact on public lands, contact Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics at 800-332-4100, or visit LNT.org.

Source: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest