Man issues warning after making upsetting discovery along water's edge: 'Isn't going anywhere for a long time'

A TikTok user posted a short yet informative video about how misleading ostensibly eco-friendly packaging can be.

The clip posted by Rush Bowles (@rushbowles) shows a frustrating scene in a mangrove forest in Florida: a vital ecosystem swimming in carelessly discarded trash. The caption implores the viewer not to "get lied to by labels."

@rushbowles Don't get lied to by labels , styrofoam will out live us all. #biscaynebay ♬ original sound - Rush Bowles

Rush picks up a piece of styrofoam whose packaging claims to be biodegradable. The uploader scoffs at the claim, saying, "Just because it says it's biodegradable, I can promise you, this isn't going anywhere for a long time."

The video ends with a call to stop adding to the endless mounds of trash and to "get stuff that lasts."

As the video suggests, polystyrene causes significant environmental harm because it simply does not degrade naturally. Instead, it will break down into ever smaller pieces, contaminating the soil and water. It's also harmful to any wildlife that may mistake it for food. Even properly discarded refuse just ends up in landfills, which have their own multitude of ecological issues, from habitat destruction to harmful pollution.

The label is a textbook example of greenwashing, and "biodegradable" is one of the biggest red flags of all in packaging. It's an essentially meaningless phrase. As one sustainability expert explained, "Anything is biodegradable if you give it enough time, and may have negative consequences along the way."

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The comments shared the uploader's disdain.

"Our mangroves are sacred, they even help during hurricanes. I pick up every time I go to the waters," said one viewer.

Another pointed out there are ways to repurpose styrofoam: "It sucks, but it's better than being in the soil."

There is some interesting research into alternate uses for styrofoam, but it's fair to say that preventing it from getting into the water and soil in the first place is the optimal move. That's why several states have banned it or are considering doing so.