A viral video showing a massive pile of plastic waste floating on water has been widely shared online with claims that it was filmed in India. The video allegedly exposes India’s environmental negligence, with captions implying hypocrisy in global environmental efforts. However, the truth is that the footage has no connection to India. The video actually shows mounds of plastic waste washed onto the Caribbean shores of Guatemala from the Rio Motagua, one of the most polluted rivers in the world. This video has been circulating online since June 2022, long before being misattributed to India.
An X account named @newstart_2024 shared the misleading clip with the caption:
“You pay carbon taxes, sky-high energy bills, banned plastic straws, and carry useless paper bags that tear instantly. All to ‘save the environment.’ Meanwhile in India…”
This post framed the video as recent footage from India, amplifying misinformation and gaining traction among users critical of climate policies.
Truth: The video actually shows plastic waste in Guatemala, not India.
As the false claim gained traction on social media, it drew our attention. The D-Intent Data Team conducted a detailed frame-by-frame investigation and keyword research. Our investigation led us to the @CBSNews X account, which had posted the same video in 2022. The caption clearly identified the location as Guatemala, where mounds of plastic waste lapped onto the Caribbean shores after flowing from the Rio Motagua a river known among environmentalists as one of the most polluted in the world.
Mounds of plastic waste lapped onto the Caribbean shores of Guatemala from the Rio Motagua, considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world, according to environmentalists. pic.twitter.com/3igEb1ozvN
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 22, 2022
So its confirm that the footage was first shared by credible media outlets in mid-2022, with no link to India. The video’s reappearance under a misleading caption demonstrates how old environmental footage can be repurposed to push regional narratives.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) October 28, 2025
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: A video showing a large accumulation of plastic waste floating on water is being shared with the claim that it was filmed in India. This claim is false. According to reports, the footage actually shows mounds of plastic waste washed (1/3) pic.twitter.com/HCud7jKWlC
Intent:
Propaganda accounts are circulating old videos from different locations with self-invented claims to set their narrative against India.
Conclusion:
Claim: The viral video showing floating plastic waste was filmed in India.
Fact: The footage is from Guatemala, filmed in 2022, showing waste from the Rio Motagua, not India.
Related Article: Fact Check: Video depicts water emerging from cracks in road in Guatemala falsely shared as India – D-Intent Data
