OCEAN PLASTIC

It is estimated that anywhere from 1.15 to 2.41 tons of plastic trash ends up in our oceans every year, entering mostly through rivers. Earth’s ocean currents have formed five gigantic whirlpools called gyres or “plastic accumulation zones” where the plastic collects. The largest of these five gyres is named “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (GPGP) is an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France and located halfway between California and Hawaii. Most of the plastic trash sinks or remains in the gyres, but a significant percentage of it also washes up daily onto coastlines around the world. 

 

The majority of the plastic in our oceans is broken into small pieces having had sunlight photodegrade it. This trash is scattered over massive areas much larger than the gyres themselves. This makes collection of trash even more challenging. 

 

Concerningly, many aquatic life and seabirds mistake these plastic fragments for food and eat it, which according to new studies can cause significant damage the internal organs of these animals. It is thought that between 57,000 and 135,000 whales are entangled by plastic marine debris every year in addition to likely millions of birds, turtles, fish and other species affected by plastic marine trash (from boating, fishing etc.). 

 

If we fail to clean up the plastic and stop the continued pollution of the oceans from plastic and other toxins, we soon face the potential extinction of many sea life species and the interruption of this entire ecosystem. In addition to organizations such as Parley, NGOs such as The Ocean Cleanup and Ocean Conservancy among many others are working on major cleanup projects and on building new technologies to get plastic out of our oceans.