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Sea Landfills – Plastic Trash in Pacific Ocean

What is that smell? It’s one gigantic swirling plastic mass known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It has quickly become the world’s largest landfill. You would think this much trash could only be found at a garbage dump on land, but apparently not. Of the 100 million tons of plastic made each year, about 10 percent ends up in the water helping to create this trash vortex.

These churning heaps of tangled trash act as a slow vortex of doom by trapping and killing fish, birds, and mammals. Roughly the size of Texas, this garbage pile keeps getting bigger and bigger every year. Composed of plastic bottles, bags, sneakers, fishing nets, tires, and more, the garbage patch extends for miles.

Watch this video to see footage of the plastic island:

Any trash ending up in a river, beach, or sewer will most likely end up a part of this vortex. How terrible is that? Due to ocean currents, the trash is swept from all over the world into the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, which is one of the many ocean vortexes. This means, a soda bottle thrown out in Russia could easily end up floating alongside an old tire from a truck in Philadelphia.

A lot of work has been done to help end this trash island, but much more needs to be done. Projects like SEAPLEX and the NOAA Marine Debris Program are making strides toward cleaning up the water and raising awareness of the continuing problem. This needs to be come one of the top environmental concerns of the public before the problem gets passed the point of no return.

There are a few things you can do regardless of who you are and what you do to end this patch of trash and save the ocean from becoming an expanding dump.

Beach Visitor:

1. Bring reusable and recyclable items.
2. Make sure any of your trash ends up in a trash can.
3. Keep your area clean.
4. Spread awareness about keeping beaches clean.

Fishers:

1. Bring all trash back to shore for disposal.
2. Never throw trash in the ocean.
3. Use eco-friendly docks and harbors.
4. Spread awareness of environmentally safe fishing habits.

Harbor/Dock Owner

1. Set up trash cans and recycling bins for staff and customers to use.
2. Prevent trash cans and recycling bins from overflowing with frequent emptying.
3. Report illegal dumping to the U.S. Coast Guard.
4. Spread awareness to other staff and customers about keeping the marina and ocean clean.

Student/Teachers

1. Set up a project or join an existing project with your school to clean up the local area.
2. Recycle over just using the trash. Reuse items or recycle them to be reused in the future.
3. Keep your school and community clean.
4. Spread awareness through education of students, teachers, peers, friends, or whoever you can reach.