Answer

By Country Walking magazine

At first glance, chucking an apple core into the undergrowth doesn’t sound like a heinous crime - it’s biodegradable, some critters might appreciate the fodder, and it saves the all-too-familiar rotten-fruit-mash in your backpack.  Take another look, though, and it all gets more complicated. Apples, oranges, and bananas do decompose, but they can take at least two years to do it – and during that time they look unsightly, smell icky and can encourage wildlife to scavenge – including rats.  

According to ENCAMS, the folk behind Keep Britain Tidy, litter is "Waste in the wrong place caused by human agency." The line seems to be: if you wouldn’t drop it on your living room carpet or newly-mowed lawn, don’t drop it on the hills. And the law takes a dim view of fruit and veg detritus too – councils have prosecuted people for dropping apple cores and banana skins.

And there’s deeper psychology at work here too. Research has shown that where people see litter, they’re more inclined to drop some themselves, thinking it doesn’t matter because the place is already a mess. And even though you may have only thrown away an apple core, the next person may think it’s OK to drop a crisp packet or a drink can.

So our advice is to pack out what you pack in – take a plastic bag to keep your backpack clean and if you really want a shiny halo, collect any litter you find. You’ll earn yourself a pat on the back from writer Bill Bryson, who’s fronting a CPRE campaign to clean up our beautiful countryside. 

And to support that campaign, Country Walking magazine is running a competition - pick up litter from one mile of your next walk, take a photo before you throw it all away, and post it on the gallery here at LFTO. The winning pic will be chosen by Country Walking editor, Jonathan Manning, and the prize is £750 worth of eco-friendly Polartec, Berghaus and Patagonia walking gear. So get wombling - entry closes on June 30th!