A gender reveal party left a park strewn with bright pink confetti — until one determined person came to the rescue.
In her profile, TikToker The Trashy Texan (@TheTrashyTexan) stated that she wants to pick up one million pieces of trash. And this one gender reveal party added nearly two thousand pieces to her total.
@thetrashytexan Gender Reveal Gone Wrong. 1,775 Pieces Of Litter From 1 Parents Choice To Announce They're Having A Daughter. Congratulations On The Girl Though!! #fyp #fypシ #litterhunter #dontlitter #genderreveal ♬ original sound - TheTrashyTexan 🗑♻️🌍
Her video shows the park before and after she cleans it up. "1,775 pieces of litter from 1 parent's choice to announce they're having a daughter," she wrote.
Commenters were similarly frustrated. "How hard is it to pick it up?" one person lamented. The OP agreed, replying, "Children are a wonderful thing to celebrate, but as you said... just pick up after."
"I don't get why [people] can't just use stuff like flower petals," another person commented. "They grow in pink and blue, so why use plastic?"
It's not the first time a gender reveal party has been a source of strife. These parties have resulted in death and destruction, from accidental explosions to raging wildfires.
But in the case of littering, the problem is more widespread. Whether it's takeout containers or confetti cannons, litter is a problem in every human-occupied part of the world. Keep America Beautiful estimates that there are currently over one billion pieces of litter on the ground in the U.S. In some places, like Thailand's Khao Yai National Park, littering has gotten so bad that they mail it back to the tourists who leave it there.
And litter isn't just unsightly — it's hazardous. Litter releases toxins into the environment, harming soil and plants. It also serves as a breeding ground for bacteria and other parasites, including disease-carrying mosquitoes. And once litter is in an environment, it's usually there to stay. Most litter — particularly plastic — doesn't break down over time or at all.
Animals are also victims of littering. They often end up mistaking it for food; it then fills their stomachs, starving them to death while full of garbage. Marine animals face the added threat of becoming entangled by debris.
So, instead of confetti-bombing, these parents-to-be should have recycled their confetti, looked into a sustainable alternative, or followed the advice of one commenter.
"This is why I buy biodegradable confetti with wildflower seeds in it," she wrote. "Saves on tedious clean up and litter."
The OP was delighted: "I love that idea even more."
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