I think I found the cassette player, although it dates it to the 80s... Although it could of been an old object dumped alongside more contemporary ones, as the cassette doesn't appear to be as aged as other objects...
The Bud Light can design was introduced in 2004 and lasted until 2008. Being one of the most disposable items, I'd guess the pile was made in those years.
That tracks with my cassette player estimation: 2002. Presumably they didn't trash it while new, but it doesn't exactly scream quality, so it wouldn't surprise me if it died shortly after the warranty expired.
So if I were to guess: shortly after that bud light can was introduced, so 2005ish.
Questionable parenting with questionable taste in "beer"
Those look like items from around 1993. The items don't look like they have been exposed to the elements for 33 years, though. Maybe 5 to 10 years of exposure.
I don't think its ethernet cable. I think its string trimmer line. Look at the size of the football grips, and consider that they are closer in frame than whatever type of cable that is.
Also, I'm pretty sure that is some species of Galium growing around there, probably maybe Galium arvense? Vining habit, whorled leaves, disturbed spaces, etc.. Its stem is pretty narrow. Much narrower than ethernet cable.
That's been only out in the weather a year or two but I recognize the patina of being stored in a hot garden shed for decades. Someone cleaned out the back of their shed and dumped it.
Two would be pushing it. The leaves would have matted more and built up in greater amounts. Put out last spring is my estimate: that's one year of detritus.
Assuming this isn't just two feet off the side of a trailhead or something.
I'd say late 80s to early 90s trash, that football looks like one I bought at a garage sale in the 90s but was at least 10 years old when I bought it.
Plastics often have production dates, a small circle of numbers from 1 to 12 with an arrow points at the month of production with the numbers on either side of the arrow being the year.
The boombox is the only concrete clue I can identify. It’s an am/fm cassette, but doesn’t seem to have a cd player, so I’m assuming it went out of style in the early aughts. Best guess, this trash is about 20 years old.
I did solid waste dump responses when I worked for a health department.
When people who can't pay to dump have trash, they dump it in the woods, ravines, forestry roads, etc.
Usually the drive to dump trash is when someone dies and someone else is having to clear out their effects, be it family, a landlord, or some worker. Or someone is evicted from their home, vehicle, or encampment.
Otherwise most people hoard it until they die or are evicted.
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