Is tossing fruit out the car window really allowed in NJ?

Be honest. Have you ever thrown finished fruit out the window? Think of a banana peel or an apple core. Once the fruit is done, what do you do with the remnants?

I bring this up because I recently learned that one of my former co-workers does this. I was catching up with him while we were driving together. He was eating an apple.

Once the apple was finished, he opened the window and threw the core into the grass on the side of the road. Curious, I asked them if they always did that. The response was yes.

Why throw fruit out the window?

He said he did that because it would naturally decompose. Since it's not technically garbage, he kind of has a point.

And I figured that would be his response since I do compost fruit myself. That apple core will decompose and return to nature. Either that, or an animal will pick it up and eat it.

But that got me thinking of something more. Is it OK to throw fruit remnants out the window?

A seasonal habit?

I get the decomposing argument, but I don't know how much weight that'll hold during the colder months. Especially now since we're approaching the winter season.

Will our scraps decompose? Or will they remain there all winter frozen on the side of the road like a piece of garbage?

I guess another argument could be that animals can eat it when food is scarce. But again, not sure if that's wise since we don't know if animals can eat those particular food scraps in the first place.

So that brings us back to the question. Should we be doing this, and is it even allowed to do in New Jersey?

Should we be doing this?

Technically speaking, no. Upon looking up some of the laws and regulations in New Jersey, it appears throwing discarded fruit out the window is considered the same thing as throwing garbage out. Or in other words, it's considered littering, which is against the law.

And that makes sense. Even though things like apples and bananas are grown, it doesn't mean it's safe for that particular area.

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Not only that, but pretty much anything thrown from the car while driving should be illegal. We already have enough issues with motorists and litter, why add fruit to the mix?

Composting fruit is one thing. Throwing it out the car window is another. Please don't do it.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.