There's no shortage of people posting silly prank videos online to get attention, but unfortunately, their 15 minutes of fame sometimes comes at the expense of the environment.
As a perfect example of this, a clip posted in the r/Anticonsumption subreddit showed a man riding in the back of a vehicle with dozens of Burger King drinks precariously stacked in front of him. Predictably, the drinks spilled as soon as the driver jerked the car back and forth, creating a huge, wet mess and a shocking amount of trash.
A caption posted above the video read: "Anyone else pissed by the amount of unnecessary waste generated for a 'funny' video?"
Sadly, it seems like a popular prank on TikTok. Searching for "water spill challenge in the car" brings up dozens of videos of people testing their luck with similar results.
Not only does the strange trend leave behind a watery trail of destruction for car owners, but it's also inconsiderate to businesses that have to order more cups to refill their inventory.
Plus, it's a big waste of energy and resources when you consider what goes into making each cup. According to Sciencing, around 33 grams of wood and bark are used to make one paper cup. And then there's the energy required to print, cut, shape, and transport the cups, which releases tons of planet-warming pollution from burning oil.
However, since most fast-food restaurants use paper cups, you would think they could at least be recycled. Unfortunately, chemical producer BASF says that's often not the case due to a thin plastic lining that helps cups retain heat. According to the site, "most paper recycling mills lack the equipment to filter it out," which means around 50 billion disposable cups in the U.S. wind up in landfills each year.
Plus, a 2021 study found that plastic caps and lids from takeout drinks are one of the most common sources of ocean pollution.
As expected, many commenters were disgusted by the amount of waste in the video.
"Stop watching, they'll stop doing. It's a business selling clicks and you're the product," one user suggested to end the trend.
"Get a job and stop making stupid videos. It would be funnier if it was all soda on a hot day next to a wasp nest," another added.
"Alot of 'funny' videos/tiktoks these days involve alot of unnecessary waste of perfectly good food and items," someone else said.
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