Community enraged after video of husband's Christmas prank goes viral: 'I find this behavior very trashy'

Christmas brought along some eye rolls and genuine confusion when one man used the occasion to wrap a gift so tightly — using four rolls of plastic wrap, four rolls of duct tape, and adhesive spray glue — it was nearly impossible to open.

While his prank was originally posted in a video, somebody else reposted screenshots of it in the subreddit r/Anticonsumption. "'Impossible to open' gift wrapping is so wasteful," they lamented. "I've seen so many videos lately of people making gifts intentionally difficult to open, and it's just wasting so much in the process. Christmas is already wasteful enough as it is."

One commenter was puzzled. "I don't get how you would even unwrap something that's wrapped with four rolls of duct tape??" they said.

And another pointed out, "For that matter, do people (who actually have to open them, not viewers on social media) even find them fun??"

"Even [without] our knowledge of how bad plastic is for the environment … wasting four boxes of Saran wrap would be reckless behaviour," another commenter said.

Plastic is, as they mentioned, harmful to the environment. From its manufacturing, which emits planet-warming gases, to its decomposition into pollutive microplastics, it's generally a threat in both the short and long term. 

People suffer from an abundance of plastic, too. With microplastics having been found inside blood, semen, and even brains, scientists fear that human health is at risk from an accumulation of these toxic particles.

Yet despite this knowledge, most brands use plastic in their packaging, and plastic-intensive trends such as impossible-to-open gifts continue to go viral on social media. For example, many makeup and accessory brands send sample boxes to influencers, which have been widely criticized for their wasteful packaging.

"I find this behavior very trashy," the OP said.

Do you think holiday lighting is a waste of money? Big time 💯 No way 🙅 Only if it looks tacky 🤨 Only if it costs more than $100 💰 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

But the more people experience the adverse impacts of plastic pollution — from oceans full of trash to severe weather events brought about by the hotter atmosphere — the more shoppers are moving away from single-use packaging and looking for sustainable, plastic-free options.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.