Banana peels look like they are meant to be in the wild. The issue here, as in all things that relate to “nature,” is that they do not act like nature but, rather, like some sort of unintended science experiment that might take years, entice, and redefine the way in which animals interact within a habitat.
In home gardens or compost piles, food scraps decompose readily because the essential conditionsliquid, heat, and high bacterial populationsare in close proximity to the food. In the wilderness, the essential conditions may not be met: a hard surface, dry environment, direct sunlight, or a sparse bacterial population could slow the process. An orange peel may take two years to decompose in the wilderness, long after the owner has long forgotten about it.
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is a wildlife ecologist who has observed the ripples created by “harmless” scraps.“Well-meaning individuals seek to feel closer to wildlife, often through seemingly benign actions like sharing fruit with monkeys at a tourist site or tossing food scraps like banana peels into the woods on a hike,”Dr. Wynn-Grant says. “They think it will decompose quickly and do no harm. But I’ve seen firsthand how well-meaning actions such as these can affect animals and ecosystems.”
The first effect is the behavior of the animals. Once the animals realize the presence of human traffic and the availability of food, they become accustomed to the human environment as a feeding ground. Wynn-Grant warns, “Once they learn to connect humans with easy meals, these behaviors can undermine and change their natural behavior patterns.” This may be manifested by bolder human interactions, longer stays around the picnic sites, and regular trail use, which can lead to stress and conflict if the reward of human traffic is absent.
Edge effects enhance the danger. Food waste thrown by the side of the road or along trails can lure animals closer to the road, providing a further reason for a car to stop in a region already divided by vehicles. Animal-road accidents are a constant problem in national parks, but so too is the danger to human life: 200 motorists die each year in animal car accidents.
A peel can become a stop.
Also, there is the nutritional disconnect that is rarely brought up in the act of flipping the peel into the brush. Wynn-Grant talks about how domesticated produce is different from what the bodies of wild animals were designed to digest: Our fruits and vegetables are raised for human taste, with sugar and salt levels that can be completely alien to wildlife physiology. Even if an animal is able to digest an item of fruit, having access to human food on such a consistent basis can disrupt natural patterns of feeding and make it not worth the effort to forage for natural food.
But the effects do not stop there. Fruit scraps can contain foreign seeds, which then germinate in an environment where they outcompete native vegetation for space. Dumping fruit scraps in the ground does not help either. This can lead to anaerobic conditions in the soil, which inhibits decomposition and methane gas production.
Litter that is small also has a social impact. A radiant peel on an otherwise quiet trail changes what it means to be ‘wild’ and accepts that ‘biodegradable’ is acceptable. The practical alternative remains straightforward: Pack it out. A small bag for food scraps will keep trails clean, discourage wildlife conditioning, and put the waste where it can decompose where it’s intendedto compost at home, through proper collection systems, or a properly operated facility instead of where it tends to end up in the margins where humans intersect with wildlife.
