grolby

I've seen several people in this thread say something like this, so time to stop this crap before it gets any worse: biodegradability does not equal environmental harmlessness. Oil is a particularly good example; the stuff is complex organic molecules of biotic origin, most of which may be broken down by a large variety of microorganisms. And yet, spilling the stuff on the ground is pretty hazardous. Small amounts may not do much obvious damage, but it's a serious toxin and groundwater contaminant.

Of course, banana peels are more benign than oil, which is most infamous for being spilled in enormous quantities, something that doesn't happen with banana peels, but the point remains that biodegradable materials can cause all sorts of problems when disposed of improperly (luring animals to roadsides is a good example).

I'm not saying that you should landfill your banana peels or even that you should never throw them in the woods, but they should be disposed of and allowed to biodegrade responsibly. Mostly, stop believing the biodegradability makes something environmentally benign. It's simply not true.