Going to the beach and enjoying a pleasant day out in the sun can be one of the most relaxing summertime experiences. However, that pleasant experience can quickly turn sour when your beach of choice becomes inundated with trash.

One beachgoer documented their recent trip to Big Bay Park in Wisconsin, which saw an alarming amount of trash piling up throughout the beach area. They posted the results to the r/milwaukee subreddit to vent their frustrations. 

In their post, the Redditor included several photos that highlighted the litter problem along the Great Lakes beach. "Dozens of water balloons all around beach, bags of trash, vape cartridge, bottles, cans, etc. People can do better," wrote the original poster.

Litter on beaches can have more significant consequences beyond being an eyesore for tourists looking to cool off. Discarded trash can harm wildlife through entanglement and ingestion, potentially leading to severe injuries and even death. And depending on the type of trash, it can continue to have negative effects on the region for decades, like plastic.

Plastic waste can result in untold damage to vulnerable habitats and the overall health of marine ecosystems. While plastics are not biodegradable, they can wear down from the elements and slowly degrade over long periods. This can lead to widespread microplastic pollution, which can ultimately impact human health. Contaminants in plastics can enter the food chain after being ingested by marine life and potentially affect humans through seafood consumption.

"I will never understand how people can be so careless," wrote one commenter.

It can certainly be frustrating to see a shared public space being taken for granted, but the effort by the OP didn't go unnoticed.

"It's awesome that you cleaned it all up," acknowledged another user.

"I try to remember to always have a plastic bag with me when I walk, because there is always trash. These days it often feels like we are doing good less than simply canceling out the bad, but it is important regardless," shared a third commenter.

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