SNOWDONIA National Park Authority has set up a ‘bananacam’ to demonstrate how long organic waste takes to break down at altitude.
As part of the ‘Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa Project’, the authority is aiming to raise awareness about the environmental impact of organic waste and emphasise that items like banana skins and orange peel should be treated as litter.
The project has been influenced by local mountain leader Mike Raine who has been conducting similar organic waste experiments in the outdoors.
A specially-designed, solar-powered camera has been placed at the summit of Mount Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) to capture the entire timeline of a discarded banana peel. It is hoped the visual experiment will demonstrate how long organic waste takes to break down when exposed to the open air and the unique conditions found at altitude.
“Organic waste, such as fruit peel, is often disregarded as harmless and left behind in natural settings,” said Alec Young, the Plastic Free Yr Wyddfa Officer.
“However, it is important to recognise that organic waste constitutes litter, which can have negative implications for both the environment and wildlife. Bananacam serves as a reminder that litter, regardless of its organic origin, can have long-lasting effects on the fragile ecosystems of our landscapes as well as being an eyesore.”
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As part of the clean-up campaign, volunteers bagged more than 550kg of waste off the mountain in a bid to make Snowdon a plastic-free mountain.
“Banana skins are the fourth-biggest litter item we find on the mountain,” added Alec.
“There’s a bit of a lack of education around organic waste, and we’re hoping to use the powerful messaging of plastic-free status to actually target all types of waste. We’re looking to ensure that people think twice about flinging banana peels.”
The National Park Authority is also hosting a competition alongside the banana-cam project. Competitors are invited to guess the date when the banana peel will completely decompose. The winner will be the person who correctly predicts the decomposition date, and will be awarded a plastic-free goodie bag filled with sustainable and eco-friendly products.
For more information about the project and to enter the competition, visit the the bananacam website.
