'Filthy' act after gender reveal at picturesque Sydney park
Joyous occasions are rarely labelled as “filthy”, “disgusting” and “pathetic”, but that’s how one Sydney family’s gender reveal has been described after a photo emerged online after the event.
An image shared on Reddit shows the aftermath of the celebration held near the Dawn Fraser Baths in the city’s Inner West.
The picturesque waterfront location is littered with hundreds of blue and silver confetti circles left behind long after the event finished.
“Looks like someone had a gender reveal in the park and left their crap to wash into the bay,” the person who uploaded the picture wrote.
The post quickly generated more than 100 comments from people outraged at the mess.
“Would it really have been that hard to just pick this up?” one person wrote. “Congrats little boy, your parents don’t care about the planet they’re putting you on.”
“Yep, this stuff will be floating around long after this kid dies of old age,” another said.
“Their gift to their new baby boy is microplastics!” one comment read, while another said there was “no excuse for this disgusting behaviour”.
The park where the photo was taken, believed to be Elkington Park in Balmain, requires bookings through council when the event has more than 30 attendees.
As part of the terms and conditions, the facilities are to be “returned in the same condition as it was before the event”, and those who do not clean up after themselves will be charged a maintenance fee – though it is unknown if the gender reveal was a booked event.
It’s not the first time an event has sparked outrage due to the mess left behind.
On Australia Day, revellers left a Sydney beach trashed with inflatable rings, towels and rubbish strewn across the sand.
In April, attendees of a Formula 1 Grand Prix event in Melbourne left the grounds covered in rubbish and drink cans, prompting backlash online.
Microplastics' impact on environment is 'frightening'
Small pieces of confetti and glitter are considered microplastics and can have a devastating impact on the environment, particularly if they are washed into waterways.
Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife CEO Ian Darbyshire previously told Yahoo News Australia microplastics are ingested by plankton and small fish, which are then swallowed by bigger fish.
“They make their way into the food chain because fish and other animals can’t break them down,” he said.
“We’re then eating the fish and we can’t break them down either. It’s frightening stuff.”
Mr Darbyshire said along with banning microplastics more needs to be done to protect our oceans.
“Firstly, we need to stop using plastic bags – they become a microplastic through breakdown from UV rays and waves.
“Microplastics can be a by-product of what’s already been thrown in the ocean.
“Secondly, we all need to be getting out and cleaning up our oceans.”
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