By Policy Associate Allie Pecenka

A recent social media trend that’s been gaining steam on platforms such as TikTok includes “car rotting,” or the experience of sitting in a parked car for long periods of time due to the relaxation it brings some individuals. “Car rotting” is often carried out after arriving or before leaving a destination, whether it be in a driveway, a grocery store parking lot, or outside the office on a lunch break.

Participants claim to enjoy sitting in their parked cars with the air conditioning running while listening to music, reading or talking on the phone for the peace and solitude it provides. Users of social media have discovered that “car rotting” is a commonplace routine for many, with some TikTok users admitting to doing so daily, for 30 minutes or more at a time. 

What ‘car rotters’ may not be aware of though, are the increased environmental impacts from this seemingly harmless activity. Research shows that many vehicles produce significantly more emissions when idling compared to moving.

Not only does an idling, parked car put strain on your engine and wallet, but the practice leads to decreased air quality and larger-scale environmental impacts. Due to decreased engine efficiency when idling, vehicles release higher levels of harmful pollutants like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. These pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere, trapping the suns’ heat via the greenhouse effect and contributing to anthropogenic climate change. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), “personal vehicle idling wastes about 3 billion gallons of fuel and generates around 30 million tons of CO2 annually in the U.S.”

While certain jurisdictions have laws against unnecessary idling, there are personal strategies one can utilize to reduce their emissions as well. 

The DOE recommends turning off a vehicle’s engine when planning to stop for longer than 10 seconds, except in traffic or for safety reasons. Additional strategies include investing in a vehicle with stop-start technology to reduce idling emissions, avoiding the use of remote start tools, planning routes efficiently, and carpooling when possible.

While certain situations such as heavy traffic may necessitate idling, it is important to remember the positive impacts one can have on the environment by reducing their voluntary “car rotting.”

For the benefit of our local and global environment, it may be time to flip the script on this trend.

If relaxation is the goal of this practice, how about ‘beach rotting’ while observing wildlife, or ‘kayak rotting’ while exploring the mangroves? The more we can collectively frame our habits with their environmental impacts in mind, the healthier our communities and coastal ecosystems will remain.