A video posted on Reddit's popular r/Anticonsumption forum stirred frustration among readers, as users discussed the excessive waste left over from the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.
The video clip, also found in an extended version posted to TikTok on Dec. 21 in advance of the 2024 event, shows plastic bags, paper hats, and piles of trash scattered across the street in the aftermath of the 2023 celebration. Confetti continues to float through the sky, even though the event is over and most of the people have cleared out.
@mickmicknyc Replying to @Bhop159 Some go home. Some stay yo celebrate a little longer 😉 New Years Eve in @Times Square NYC 🥳💞 Are you ready? #timesquare #nyc #nye #2024 #confetti #newyearseve #newyork #balldrop #fireworks ♬ Run Boy Run - Woodkid
Reddit users were shocked and disappointed by the massive amount of garbage and plastic waste caused by the celebration.
"We exploit our planet for every last drop of oil causing climate change and extinction of animals only to produce plastic that people use for a few seconds and not even have the decency to pick up the trash afterwards," commented one Redditor.
"As a former Janitor (or as my employer so eloquently put it 'Custodial Engineer')," wrote another user. "This fills me with [so] much rage."
Plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges the world is facing. In 2021, plastic production across the globe reached over 430 million tons. Of the total global plastic production, less than 10% ends up getting recycled each year.
When plastic garbage is not properly recycled, it often ends up in the ocean, where it can harm aquatic animals, or in landfills where it can take hundreds of years to break down, releasing planet-warming gases along the way.
Public celebrations, such as the New Year's Eve party in Times Square, exacerbate climate change by generating mass amounts of plastic waste in a short amount of time.
"How hard is it to simply watch a concert then [count down] without consuming?" asked another user.
Commenters were also shocked by the carelessness and lack of environmental awareness of the people littering during the celebration.
"Idk where people develop this sense of entitlement that they feel they can just dump their trash wherever is convenient," wrote one Redditor.
"I was expecting someone to comment about this," chimed in another user. "Honestly it's sad the littering that goes on in public spaces, especially in events."
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