It's truly astonishing how often people toss their trash on the ground, even in the most pristine lakes, sugar-sand beaches, or quiet mountainsides overlooking sweeping vistas. Why?

TikToker Aquatic Monkey (@aquatic__monkey) ponders the same question and has no answer. "That makes me so mad," read one of the comments to Clay's post, condensing so much frustration into five simple words. 

@aquatic__monkey These people suck! #litter #garbage #trash #environment #diving ♬ original sound - Aquatic Monkey 🇨🇦

Worse, there are clearly portable toilets in the background, which almost certainly means there are garbage cans. 

Yet, entire garbage bags' worth of energy drink cans litter the seabed, with a pair of underwear thrown in for good measure. Even worse, energy drink cans also contain residual chemicals, like caffeine, sugars, and artificial sweeteners that leach into the surrounding water. 

It's not likely that anything in that specific environment will consume the cans, but entrapment is certainly a potential issue. 

A study published in ScienceDirect proved the validity of entanglement concerns, with 56% of all beverage containers collected from urban woodlands containing dead animals. Nearly 1,000 containers were collected, all of which could have been properly disposed of. 

It makes no sense, either on a surface level or more intrinsically. It's fantastic that the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup organization exists, having collected 348 million pounds of trash in 35 years. 

However, it's heartbreaking that it's even necessary. On the bright side, most local areas have some sort of cleanup organization that people can join, so it's worth taking the time to find out where they operate, how often, and when.

Keep America Beautiful has 700 affiliates across the U.S., while ICC coordinates with local partners in coastal regions, and the Environmental Protection Agency supports cleanup programs such as Superfund, Brownfields, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act initiatives. 

In other words, being mad is a perfectly reasonable reaction to the rampant and indiscriminate littering that takes place in these natural environments. 

What should America do to fight plastic pollution? Stricter regulations on companies 🏛️ Better recycling ♻️ More bans on single-use items 🚫 All of the above 💯 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

One thing is for sure: Most of the clip's viewers are appreciative of the original poster's cleanup. "Thank you for always cleaning up," one person wrote. 

Pitch in, help clean up, and maybe change a few minds along the way.

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