Community activist shares video of stunning discoveries on side of road: 'Older than me'

An astonishing video on TikTok has revealed the dystopian nature of litter that can last on roadsides for generations. 

In the video, the TikTok creator Rebecca (@eaglescliffeclp) described the question she often gets when it comes to picking up trash from the stretch of highway: "It's just one bag of litter. What difference can it make?"

@eaglescliffeclp One small stretch of road in my lunch break today, and several bits of plastic that have sat there for 16-18 years. It's really rewarding removing older litter, especially plastic. It's damaging to the environment and our roadsides are such a mess. It may only be 1 bag, but it all adds up. 💚🗑️🦺 #litterpicking #volunteering #cleanup #streetcleaning #naturelover #eaglescliffe #teesside #lovewhereyoulive #keepbritaintidy #leavenotrace #plasticpollution ♬ Somewhere Only We Know - Keane

Rebecca filmed some of the pieces of litter she had picked up from the side of an English highway. The dates are shocking. One piece of food packaging had a use-by date from 2007, making it at least 18 years old, while two other pieces were from 2009, putting them at around 16 years old.

"Some of this litter is older than me," wrote a commenter. "That's absolutely crazy."

The prevalence of non-biodegradable litter is more common than some may think. According to National Geographic, plastic litter can take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose. 

A plastic bottle can take 450 years to decompose, according to Divert, and plastic bags, similar to the ones showcased in the video, can take up to 20. 

Concerningly, fishing lines, which are often littered in waterways, can take about 600 years to decompose, per California Sea Grant. 

Even with decomposition, the plastic litter still sticks around. It turns into smaller microplastics, which seep into our food, water, and air supply. From there, plastics can transfer into our bloodstreams, sticking around for even longer. 

In a study published in the Yonsei Medical Journal, microplastics have been linked to respiratory disorders, reproductive problems, heart disease, and certain cancers. 

These formidable reasons are why Rebecca encourages others to pick up the litter they see, even if it seems like it won't make a massive impact. 

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Preserving a clean habitat for both people and wildlife, with the latter already facing the brunt of environmental degradation, is just one of many reasons why picking up a small amount of trash can help shift the planet's health.

Commenters were appalled at the age of the waste.

"Just considering that expiration dates are labeled for after you buy them, who really knows when it was thrown out," wrote one user. "Thank you for what you're doing for Mother Earth." 

Another gave an inspiring comment, "Imagine how much cleaner the world would be if everyone just put one piece of litter they see in a bin."

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