BLOG #39 LITTER

Aluminum cans.                     80-200 years
Glass bottles.                          1 million years
Plastic bags.                             500-1000 years
Paper.                                           2-5 months
Orange/banana peels.       6 months
Tin cans.                                     50-200 years
Styrofoam.                                50 years
Wet wipes.                               100 years
Nylon fabric.                           30-40 years
Synthetic fabrics.                 100 years +
Feminine products.             250+ years
Chewing gum.                       50-1000 years
Diapers.                                    500 years
​Mono filament fish line.   600 years
6 pack plastic.                        450 years
Cotton t—shirt.                    6 months


The above, are items that a hikers/campers leave behind in the mountains.
The months and years listed after each, is the length of time it takes to decompose. to zero.

But let me tell you, glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, DO NOT BURN.
PLEASE do not leave these items in the fire pits in backcountry.

A good steward, is a person that takes care of what they take into Nature.
There’s an old adage that goes….”if you can carry it in full, you can certainly carry it out empty”.

When I lead a hike for the Spokane Mountaineers, I carry my grabbing tool and several plastic grocery bags, to clean up the trailheads.
On my hikes, I use the same bags to collect litter, fire pit garbage, etc. You can use one to pick up the litter, and put it in the other bag.
Or you may want to carry surgical gloves to pick up the litter.

No matter what method or your motivation, picking up others trash in Nature makes your everyday hike more enjoyable.

We can’t get rid of slobs in the mountains, but WE can make the areas we hike too, more enjoyable for ourselves and others.

Last year while staying at the Bull River Campgrounds, I picked up all the little trash that bothers me the most.
The campground host walked over to me and thanked me.
He also said that in his experience, a clean campsite fosters the current occupant to keep the site clean themselves.

A suggestion I live by is simple, DO NOT TOUCH LITTER.
Use a grabber or gloves to clean up the high country areas we enjoy.

I would like to thank you all that have, or will pick up others trash when in Nature.

                                                                      MAKE EVERY DAY AN EARTH DAY.


InlandNWRoutes.com

Chic Burge               David Crafton