Mother Nature Network does not recommend chucking your apple core or banana peel outside. Although these items eventually biodegrade, it isn’t done overnight and can cause some damage. An apple can take two months to decompose while a banana peel can take up to two years. But by providing food for wild animals you may also stop them from foraging for their own in nature. And if you don’t care much for animals, if you’re caught littering you may be fined by a police officer.