The Great Pacific or Eastern Garbage Patch
The World's Largest Dump – Where Does Litter End Up?
Jun 21, 2009
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is so large it has been estimated to be over twice the size of the continental United States and can be seen from space. Garbage accumulates in this region of the Pacific due to a system of minimal wind and slow-moving currents known as the North Pacific subtropical gyre.
Marine Litter Creates the World's Largest Dump
Trash is not confined to land nor landfills anymore. The oceans have become waste dumps for refuse, and unless people take action the problem is only going to worsen. The Ocean Conservancy works not only to clean up the trash left by humans, but to highlight the problems facing waterways today. "Marine litter is one of the most pervasive and solvable pollution problems plaguing the world's oceans and waterways", according to the United Nations Environment Programme. In recent years marine debris has converted from largely organic materials to primarily synthetic substances. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch includes items as large as kayaks, to footballs, rubber duckies, frisbees, and legos, to plastic bottles, plastic bags, and diminutive plastic nurdles, the raw materials used to make all things plastic. Because plastics are light weight and buoyant, they can float on the water and travel long distances with the ocean currents. Ninety percent of the litter in the garbage patch is plastic, and it is estimated to extend up to 100 feet below the surface of the water. The plastic is so pervasive, it outweighs the plankton six to one.
Death by Plastic
It has been estimated that millions of sea animals, from marine mammals to sea turtles to birds, die annually from ingesting plastic or becoming entangled in trash. On Midway Atoll, nearly half of the albatross chicks born every year die. A study by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the chicks that died from starvation or dehydration had twice as much plastic in their stomachs compared to chicks who died for other reasons ("Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas." Los Angeles Times. Kenneth Weiss. August 2006.). Dead chick carcasses reveal stomachs full of trash, including bottle caps, highlighter pens, fishing line and small styrofoam balls. Biologist John Klavitter estimates that albatross on Midway feed their young approximately five tons of plastic each year.
Plastic is a Growing Problem
The convenience of disposable plastic makes it a prevalent substance in society. Containers, packaging, toys, product casings, and household materials are made of plastic. Items that used to be made of wood or metal are now made of plastic. In 2001, the average American consumed 223 pounds of plastic, and that number is expected to rise to 326 pounds by the end of 2010 - a hundred pound increase in just ten years. As a growing problem, the solution must be multi-faceted. Consumers can start by demanding retailers use less packaging with their products through wise purchases, and by enacting the three R's: reduce, reuse and recycle. Twenty-six percent of marine debris collected in the 23rd International Coastal Cleanup consisted of plastic bags, plastic bottles, and caps. By using non-disposable refillable water bottles and reusable shopping bags, one fourth of the marine litter could potentially be eliminated if everyone followed suit.
Sources:
"The world's rubbish dump: a garbage tip that stretches from Hawaii to Japan." The Independent. Kathy Marks and Daniel Howden. February 5, 2008.
"The world's largest garbage dump: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch." Discover. Thomas Kostigen. July 2008.
"Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas." Los Angeles Times. Kenneth Weiss. August 2, 2006.
 |
