The leftovers of a gender reveal party sparked frustration and solidarity among a group of strangers at Muir Beach.
TikToker BigEmsBaby (@shutupimdoingstuff) posted a video displaying the damaging aftermath, which was as large as the spectacle itself.
@shutupimdoingstuff faith in humanity was questioned & restored 🤝 humans are so silly 🥰 #muirbeach #litter #genderreveal #trash #respectnature #california #fyp #discover #beach #beachday #cleanupafteryourself #happybirthday #community #beachcleanup #faithinhumanityrestored ♬ original sound - BigEmsBaby
The sands were littered with strips of pink confetti. The future parents of a baby girl were nowhere to be found as a group of strangers, young and old, came together to reverse the damage.
The TikToker was shocked. "I thought we learned something after the gender reveal forest fire but I guess not," they wrote.
A few years ago, a California couple's celebration involving pyrotechnics ignited a catastrophic wildfire, torching almost 23,000 acres, burning down five houses, and killing a firefighter, as reported by The Guardian.
Luckily, the climate-conscious group kept the confetti from getting caught in the waves, making it out to sea, and endangering wildlife.
"This is what community looks like," BigEmsBaby said proudly.
The video also showed everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to a woman in the group as if they'd been friends for far longer than minutes.
"Faith in humanity was questioned and restored," the caption read.
From confetti to hazardous chemicals, some of these joyous celebrations have become environmental nightmares.
Animals can mistake the confetti or other trash for food, causing digestive problems and even death.
If the confetti is plastic, it can take thousands of years to break down, creating microplastics that pollute the environment. Even paper confetti can harm ecosystems since it often contains dyes that have toxic chemicals, according to UC Davis.
Respecting nature is a sign of climate awareness and the desire to protect our natural resources. If you are looking to celebrate, there are alternative options such as biodegradable confetti, dried flowers, birdseed, or even do-it-yourself confetti made out of leaves.
The post was met with over 750 comments, the majority of which expressed the same feelings BigEmsBaby did when she wrote, "Do better, respect the planet."
"They didn't even try to clean it," one user pointed out.
"What's the point of bringing a life into the world if you don't nurture the world for the life you made?" one TikToker asked.
"The kids helping clean," another comment read, with a crying face emoji and a round of applause.
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