Three members of Collington’s Sustainability Committee visited our local recycling center. While there, they learned the following startling facts about how long it takes various items of everyday household use to decompose. The Trip’s Committee may be considering to offer a trip for residents to the center in future. Here are excerpts from the list they were given on the tour.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DECOMPOSE?
- Paper towel 2 – 4 weeks
- Banana peel 3 – 4 weeks
- Paper bag 1 month
- Newspaper 1.5 months
- Apple core 2 months
- Cardboard 2 months
- Cotton glove 3 months
- Orange peels 6 months
- Plywood 1 – 3 years
- Wool sock 1 – 5 years
- Milk cartons 5 years
- Cigarette Butts 10 -12 years
- Leather shoes 25 – 40 years
- Tinned steel can 50 years
- Foam plastic cups 50 years
- Rubber boot sole 50 – 80 years
- Plastic containers 50 – 80 years
- Aluminum can 200-500 years
- Plastic bottles 450 years
- Disposable diapers 550 years
- Fishing line 600 years
- Plastic bags 200 – 1000 years
I will forever take my own bags to the market and never, ever again use their plastic bags. I am aghast. However, I need suggestions about how to dispose of waste from pets.
Great post, Lois. Useful information for us all. Even though we may not be dropping these items in the woods or along roadways, we can be alert to picking them up off the ground when we see them. Fishing line and plastic bags very halrmful for wildlife that get entangled and can’t free themselves.
Thanks to all who shared this information with me. Collingtonians keep sending the ideas and information!