Ben Nevis walkers told not to drop banana skins

leave no trace

yep leave take them home with you.

Shouldn’t be dropping anything.

Take them home, quite simple really. Not sure there’s to much to discuss here is there?

I did chuck a couple of scabby sandwich crusts the other day, is that acceptable?

I just drop them on the corners of narrow tracks so that bikers will slip on them.

I have to hold my hand up and say I do this. In my view its a natural (I admit not native) plant that will rot away and enrich the soil.

Happy to be schooled on this though.

I agree, shouldn’t be discarding it. It’s only a bit better than dropping plastic litter. I was always taught that even if it’s biodegradable, if it doesn’t grow where you are then put it in the appropriate bin.

Same goes for orange peel

Me too! I try not to leave them on open view, but i actually feel im doing a service to the environment.

Can anyone advise?

I was always told that orange peel and banana skins take much longer to break down and shouldn’t be dropped. However, they don’t seem to take any longer to rot in the garden.

In my view its a natural (I admit not native) plant

Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it good.

that will rot away and enrich the soil.

Even if it didn’t take years to rot away enriching the soil is often bad for native plant species. There’s advice on not scattering peoples ashes on the mountain for the same reason.

However, they don’t seem to take any longer to rot in the garden

I’ll wager that your garden is at a significantly lower altitude and has a lot more animals that will happily eat the discarded fruit.

Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it good.

ok, can you explain why its bad?

If you can carry it in then you can carry it out. No exceptions (though we can cover toileting in another thread).

Even if it didn’t take years to rot away enriching the soil is often bad for native plant species. There’s advice on not scattering peoples ashes on the mountain for the same reason.

I try not to leave them on open view, but i actually feel im doing a service to the environment.

The view is that they do rot it takes a very long time, and even longer when left at altitude in the cold.

If you can carry it in then you can carry it out. No exceptions.

I need better reason than that. I take all my plastic wrappers and gel wrappers home. But I do discard banana peels into hedgerows as I cycling along. Like I said happy to change my habits if someone can explain what the issue is.

ok, can you explain why its bad?

https://blog.nols.edu/bust-leave-no-trace-myths

The view is that they do rot it takes a very long time, and even longer when left at altitude in the cold.

So what? If it takes 2 years to rot away, whats the problem with that?

But I do discard banana peels into hedgerows as I cycling along. Like I said happy to change my habits if someone can explain what the issue is.

They take a couple of years to degrade and in the meantime are littering the countryside. It’s lazy and inconsiderate.

Can live with the odd banana skin, You know what I don’t like seeing? The little scrunched up bits of bright white tissue tucked behind rocks etc that suggests someone has had a wee (or worse). And in the ‘worse’ case I suspect that it’s significantly more ‘soil enriching’ than a banana peel…

whats the problem with that?

I’ll dump a bin of rubbish on your front lawn and collect it in a couple of years then?

Apart from the people who have to look at your discarded banana skin for the next couple of years, as above, the environment may be harmed rather than enriched by the byproducts.

It’s not hard to take it home. It’s only half the weight of the thing you carried up to that point. Is it because it feels a bit slimy in your jersey pocket?

They take a couple of years to degrade and in the meantime are littering the countryside. It’s lazy and inconsiderate.

I get it in the context of the OP. A well used walking trail up a mountain covered in banana skins is not cool. But on a road ride where I would throw it into a hedgerow, I still don’t see the problem. If it takes that banana peel 2 years to rot away, who cares? no-one has sees it, its not killing any wildlife. Would the same apply to an apple core? what about all the fruit that drops from trees onto the floor? should we be going around clearing all those up?

If it takes 2 years to rot away, whats the problem with that?

As others have said it is both an eyesore and potentially bad for the local ecosystem.

Is it because it feels a bit slimy in your jersey pocket?

No, Its because I genuinely do not think it does any harm whatsoever. As I said happy to change my behaviour if there is good reason.

and potentially bad for the local ecosystem.

How so?

I get it in the context of the OP. A well used walking trail up a mountain covered in banana skins is not cool. But on a road ride where I would throw it into a hedgerow, I still don’t see the problem. If it takes that banana peel 2 years to rot away, who cares? no-one has sees it, its not killing any wildlife. Would the same apply to an apple core? what about all the fruit that drops from trees onto the floor? should we be going around clearing all those up?

You are aware of just how ridiculous your “whataboutary” is with this argument? You’re just looking for “reasons” to justify continued littering and your arguments really aren’t robust at all. If you pack it in, you pack it out.

PH Levels
Eyesore
Not native

Anymore reasons why?

As long as their not those EU straight narners ok?

You are aware of just how ridiculous your “whataboutary” is with this argument? You’re just looking for “reasons” to justify continued littering and your arguments really aren’t robust at all.

Not at all. We are quite a few posts in and so far no-one has been able to tell me what actual damage or harm happens as a result of my actions.

what about all the fruit that drops from trees onto the floor? should we be going around clearing all those up?

Native plants, part of the ecosystem and generally found only under said fruit tree. Banana skins are wider spread out, don’t rot as quickly and are not a native species.

In a  survival situation bear grylls could fashion a coat from banana skins.

PH Levels
Eyesore
Not native

PH Levels? did you make that up? What do you think is going to happen from a single discarded banana peel?

Not native. Well initially I would say yes ok. But when you think about it, what difference does it make? Its not like I`m introducing a non native species to an area where it will effect the local eco system. There wont be any banana tress growing on the roadside in Herefordshire as a result.

trailwagger

Member

So what? If it takes 2 years to rot away, whats the problem with that?

Up a very busy tourist attraction mountain, it means there’s a lot of half rotted banana skins lying around.

It’s situational, imo, but it’s the sort of situational where if you don’t know for sure, you shouldn’t do it. If you’re, say, in Glentress forest and you chuck a banana skin into the bushes, it’ll do absolutely no harm. But the line’s somewhere and really, who can say exactly where that line is?

“Not native” annoys me- it makes no difference whatsoever, so mentioning it just creates a bit of doubt and argument.

We are quite a few posts in and so far no-one has been able to tell me what actual damage or harm happens as a result of my actions.

I’m assuming this is a troll, however…

1. Multiply your banana skin by the dozens of others day in, day out. This means that hundreds and hundreds are lying on the mountain for near years. An eyesore.

2. According to posts above and research it affects soil pH levels, introduces moulds and changes a delicate ecosystem.

3. It introduces the idea that throwing things away is acceptable to less intelligent or lazier folk than you, so suddenly leaving paper is ok, or maybe just anything like plastic or metal. It confirms a ‘i don’t care’ attitude is ok. It’s really not ok.

I’m intrigued as you how you would feel about a bunch of banana peels being thrown in your garden? Humour , I’ve humored you.

https://undergradsciencejournals.okstate.edu/index.php/jibi/article/view/4050

so far no-one has been able to tell me what actual damage or harm happens as a result of my actions

why should we?

it’s trash, take it home.

or if you do want to be a lazy litter bug… why not prove to us that it is actually totally harmless?

I’m sure there are some experts that could provide real evidence one way or the other better than a bunch of MTBers, but hey, experts, who the frick believes anything they say these days?

Up a very busy tourist attraction mountain, it means there’s a lot of half rotted banana skins lying around.

It’s situational, imo, but it’s the sort of situational where if you don’t know for sure, you shouldn’t do it. If you’re, say, in Glentress forest and you chuck a banana skin into the bushes, it’ll do absolutely no harm. But the line’s somewhere and really, who can say exactly where that line is?

“Not native” annoys me- it makes no difference whatsoever, so mentioning it just creates a bit of doubt and argument.

+1

Serious question,
What is the consensus on what should be done with the banana skin once it’s taken home? Presumably put it in a plastic bag and send it to landfill.

Yeah I wonder environmentally its probs better to spread organic waste around. Plus that research up there related to rivers.