Resident makes sickening discovery on popular beach after holiday crowds clear out: 'They feel it's too much for them to walk to the trash can'

It's common to celebrate the Fourth of July by setting off fireworks. Unfortunately, it's also all too common for those setting off fireworks to leave behind a mess. 

One person in Chicago shared what they found at a popular lakeshore after Independence Day had passed. 

On the "r/chicago" subreddit — in a post titled "Why? Why litter?" — the Redditor posted five photos showing used fireworks and other garbage littering the shoreline and even the water. 

The original poster wrote, "5th of July garbage left behind. I hope some fingers got blown off last night."

While wishing the culprit lost a few digits is a bit extreme, the OP has a point about all the litter and garbage left behind after people celebrate holidays.

As another Reddit user commented, "Littering is legitimately scumbag behaviour."

Setting off fireworks has a significant impact on the surrounding environment, from contributing to noise and light pollution to releasing harmful chemicals into the air. But the litter after the fact isn't much better. 

Firework litter consists mainly of paper and plastic, and since plastic is non-biodegradable and takes decades to break down, it poses a threat to nearby wildlife, humans, and the environment. 

Wildlife, such as birds and fish, may come along and consume what's left over from the fireworks — plastic or otherwise — which not only poses a choking risk but could be toxic when ingested. 

If fish consume plastic and survive, they end up with microplastics in their body. These microplastics pass on to people who consume the fish and may lead to significant health problems.

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The resulting debris can also aid in the spread of disease and bacteria in the sand and water.

Revelers should respect nature and other people enough to pick up their trash while also understanding how their behavior in nature affects wildlife and their habitats. Litter inhibits how people connect with nature, leaving a bad taste in their mouths.

Most commenters on the post were equally fed up with people's lack of regard. 

One Redditor observed: "Because people are lazy and they have no regard. Or respect for our environment, so they feel it's too much for them to walk to the trash can."

"The same people that don't care about others safety, the environmental impact, people with ptsd, etc… definitely don't care about littering," said another user, accurately summing up the situation.

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