Litter is an unfortunate and ubiquitous reality around the United States. Leaving behind your trash is not only disrespectful to your neighbors and community, but it can cause long-lasting harm to our ecosystems.
One California resident shared a video on TikTok denouncing the confetti left strewn all over seaside rocks and in tidepools. Greg Viviani (@solaglocal) posts videos advocating for oceans and waterways around Southern California.
@solaglocal PSA - DO NOT USE CONFETTI CLOSE TO THE OCEAN! 🚫 😔😔😔 @Laguna Ocean Foundation This is getting out of control! Please help implement more enforcement and education about the sensitive coastline that is becoming more and more damaged! #Pollution #DestructiveTourism @4ocean, PBC @Surfrider Foundation @theinertia_ #MyLagunaBeach #LagunaBeach #CaliforniaCoastalCommission #Ca #Nature #WildLife ♬ Very Sad - Enchan
In the clip, we see Greg walking along the rocky shores at low tide, pointing out all of the confetti left behind by some disrespectful revelers. Viewers can see the gold, silver, and clear plastic strips that were blown around and into the delicate tide pool ecosystem.
Fortunately for these ecosystems, Greg took the time to collect all of the refuse. At the end of the video, he shows the large pile of plastic confetti he picked up.
"This is ridiculous, all of this literally in and around the tide pools. … Please do not do confetti poppers close to the ocean," he said. "It harms wildlife and then the sea lions, the fish. Everybody else will eat this because it looks like little fish under the water. "
It is not hard to see how the small silver strips would easily be mistaken for prey.
This display of disregard for the natural world is, unfortunately, not a rare occurrence. Confetti and other celebratory garbage are often found in parks and public places. Keep America Beautiful conducted a study in 2020, finding that while 90% of people felt that litter was a problem in their community, there were still around 50 billion pieces of trash found along our roads and waterways.
In order to protect the natural world, we need everyone to better care for it. Gus Koerner, a conservationist from the University of Florida, advocates for teaching children about wildlife and natural places. "Learning about topics like endangered species, deforestation, and pollution helps kids see the big picture and understand their role in protecting the planet," he wrote.
Commenters had a lot of thoughts about the carelessness of leaving behind this confetti.
🗣️ Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?
🔘 Definitely 👍
🔘 Only in some areas ☝️
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 I'm not sure 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
One person wrote, "Pisses me off too! Thank you for being there to pick that up. Sorry you had to."
"So disrespectful! People need to have more consideration for other living beings and the environment. Thank you for your work to help!" said another.
"There are so few tide pools left, and treat[ing] them this way is egregious," someone else added.
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