Saw these today at the Melvin Jones football grounds. These are airsoft pellets or BBs. There are thousands of these spread out on the right side of the football field. These were left behind by an airsoft tournament that was held there on December 6 and 7.
This begs some questions.
What's the procedure for airsoft tournaments? Is it okay for them to just leave these behind? Aren't they supposed to clean these up once the tournament is over?
Airsoft pellets are typically made of plastic. If these pellets left behind at the Melvin Jones football grounds are made of plastic, then these should be cleaned up. First of all, these plastic pellets are not environmentally-friendly. Two, these are a slipping hazard. There were kids playing football in the field while these photos were taken. Three, the area and nearby Burnham Park is home to many birds that might mistake these pellets as food. And four, leaving behind plastic in a playing field is littering.
Now, there are some airsoft pellets that are made of biodegradable materials. They are less common because they are often more expensive. I'm not an airsoft player so I don't know if these pellets are biodegradable or not. But even if these are biodegradable pellets, they don't degrade as fast as you might expect. It takes months or even years for biodegradable pellets to fully decompose.
The Melvin Jones ground is a playing field. It should be free from any form of obstructions and litter.
