Garbage Islands

In the Pacific Ocean, new islands are forming — islands made up entirely of trash. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a clear sign of our earth’s steadily declining health, and since its discovery in 1997, the patch has been heavy on scientists’ minds (Daley). However, the general public remains largely uneducated about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. So, what exactly is it? 

Although the name “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” may imply a singular island, there are actually two significant islands of trash that are floating in the Pacific Ocean: the Western Garbage Patch, floating close to Japan, and the Eastern Garbage Patch, floating close to California. And between these two enormous islands of trash, is a convergence zone — an area where warm and cold water interact, creating a cyclic movement that sucks in trash, efficiently funneling garbage from one garbage patch to another. Anything from a styrofoam takeout box, to the plastic from someone’s favorite hair straightener, can all be found floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

And the patch is only continuing to grow. There are already about 150 million metric tons of waste circling through our oceans, and each year, about 8 million metric tons of additional plastic waste enter our oceans (Ocean Conservancy). Because plastic is becoming increasingly popular, the amount of plastic waste is only going to grow, contributing to an even larger problem of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch: microplastics. Many plastics do not decompose, and instead, break down into smaller and smaller pieces, until they become “microplastics,” posing a threat to marine life. These shards of plastic make up the majority of trash islands, and the annual 8 million metric tons of plastic waste entering our oceans are only going to exacerbate the issue. 

Microplastics are dangerous to all forms of marine life, from animals to plants, and as trash islands grow, so do the health risks for oceanic wildlife. Microplastics are often mistaken for food or accidentally ingested by animals such as birds or fish (Stevens). Then, as larger animals consume the birds and the fish, they too, inadvertently ingest plastic. Every level of the food chain can be affected by a single plastic water bottle or plastic container. 

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of the most obvious signs of deterioration that our planet is showing, and it is our responsibility to help. Although for most world citizens, the garbage patch is as easy to ignore as clicking out of a science article or looking away from the news, the true issue is much harder to ignore. Our unsustainable practices, such as plastic bottles and aluminum soda cans, are harming our earth in catastrophic ways. Today, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of Texas and three times the size of France (Snowden). If we continue our current trajectory, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch will outsize more countries than the number of countries that outsize the garbage patch. Even a choice as simple as using a reusable water bottle can make a positive impact on the ever-growing garbage.

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Sources
Evers, Jeannie. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” The National Geographic, National Geographic, 5 July 2019, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/. Accessed 2 August 2021.
“The Problem with Plastics.” Ocean Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, 2021, https://oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas/plastics-in-the-ocean/. Accessed 2 August 2021.
Renner, Rebecca. “TRASH ISLANDS ARE STILL TAKING OVER THE OCEANS AT AN ALARMING RATE.” Pacific Standard, Pacific Standard, 8 March 2018, https://psmag.com/environment/trash-islands-taking-over-oceans. Accessed 2 August 2021.
Smithsonian. “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Much Larger and Chunkier Than We Thought.” Smithsonian Magazine, The Smithsonian, 23 March 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/great-pacific-garbage-patch-larger-and-chunkier-we-thought-180968580/. Accessed 2 August 2021.
Snowden, Scott. “300-Mile Swim Through The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Will Collect Data On Plastic Pollution.” Forbes, Forbes, 30 May 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottsnowden/2019/05/30/300-mile-swim-through-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-will-collect-data-on-plastic-pollution/?sh=3e6b830f489f. Accessed 2 August 2021.
Stevens, Alison Pearce. “Polluting microplastics harm both animals and ecosystems.” Science News for Students, Society for Science, 3 November 2020, https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/polluting-microplastics-harm-both-animals-and-ecosystems. Accessed 2 August 2021.