Hiker disheartened after noticing disturbing trend on nature trail: 'I'll never understand it'

A hiker on Reddit shared a post demonstrating just how much litter can end up outdoors.

The post, shared on the subreddit r/MildlyInfuriating with a photo, was accompanied by the caption, "The trash that I picked up along the trail on my hike today."

Commenters shared their disgust. — Photo Credit: iStock

The photo features an array of littered items — from a dog poop bag, to a food wrapper, to empty cans. But the main star of the picked-up trash is tons of plastic water bottles.

Plastic water bottles are a classic example of a single-use plastic. These kinds of plastics are non-biodegradable, meaning they will stick around in the environment far beyond the life of anyone who purchased them, likely in the form of microplastics even if they do begin to break down, without direct efforts to reuse or recycle.

Plus, single-use plastic items have a high risk of leaching chemicals, which can be consumed by humans when using them to eat or drink. A recent study showed that ditching plastic water bottles in particular could help lower cardiovascular risk. Microplastic consumption in general has also been linked to other health issues, including cognitive decline.

On top of the varied health risks, plastic pollution can be seen in nature across the globe. It poses a threat to wildlife and can pollute waterways.

To do your part in limiting the plastic pollution problem, you can switch to a reusable water bottle. To go above and beyond, you can also look for alternatives to other common plastic items, like to-go boxes or single-use grocery bags.

Luckily, governments are taking the single-use plastic issue into legislative hands. Quezon City in the Philippines recently banned single-use plastics from all government buildings. Vermont also implemented a ban on plastic bags, which reportedly has had great success.

Commenters on the hiking litter post shared their disgust with people leaving trash in the outdoors.

"Folks wanna go hike to see beautiful nature then trash it. I pick it up when I go hiking too. I'll never understand it. So easy- pack it in, pack it out," one user said.