The Insane True Scale of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

What weighs more than 43,000 cars and is over two times the size of Texas, the largest garbage dump on earth, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, this collection of ocean-faring garbage weighs more than 87,000 tons and consists of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic. Located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean between the states of Hawaii and California, this garbage accumulation zone is actually one of six garbage concentrations throughout the world's oceans formed from rotating ocean currents known as gyres. These gyres are systems of circular ocean currents formed by the earth's wind patterns and forces from the rotation of the earth. The other five garbage patches located in the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, West Pacific, and South Pacific are equally problematic. Because these garbage patches are so far from any one country's coastline, any one nation is unlikely to take on the responsibility of cleaning this garbage up on its own. It is estimated today that roughly 1.2 to 2.4 million tons of plastic is entering the ocean each year, which is the equivalent of 100,000 garbage trucks dumping their trash into the ocean. Most of this plastic is less dense than water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea. These plastics are then transported out to sea by converging ocean currents before finally accumulating in one of the garbage patches. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers an estimated surface area of roughly 1.6 million square kilometers, which as mentioned before equates to an area roughly two times the size of Texas. The latest sampling estimates that the patch contains 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic or about 250 pieces for every human on earth. The garbage patch contains a variety of plastics in all shapes and sizes, including plastic lighters, toothbrushes, water bottles, pens, baby bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, and more. Additionally, lost fishing nets and other fishing gear make up a substantial portion of the total plastic count, entangling and endangering whales, turtles, fish, and damaging coral reefs. Just this past year, during a 25-day cleanup expedition, roughly 40 tons of abandoned fishing nets were retrieved from the patch in an effort to safeguard marine life. The most troubling aspect of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is what is known as microplastics. Over time, larger plastic objects deteriorate from exposure to the sun, waves, and marine life. What's worse is that due to its size and color, marine life often confuses plastic with food, causing major damage to their own health. Many times, these plastics will fill up the animal stomachs, causing them not to eat and die from malnutrition. As an example, sea turtles caught in nearby fisheries operating within or around the Great Pacific Garbage Patch have seen up to 74% of their diets composed entirely of plastic. Once these microplastics enter the marine food web, there is also a good possibility that it will contaminate the human food chain as well. Through a process called bioaccumulation, chemicals and plastics will enter the body of the animals feeding on the plastic. As the feeder becomes prey, the chemicals pass to the predator, eventually making their way all the way up the food web and potentially into human beings. Microplastics have been found in all stages of the food chain, starting with phytoplankton, zooplankton, crustaceans, smaller fish, and larger fish. These larger fish, such as pollock, tuna, cod, and salmon, are then caught by fishermen before appearing on a dinner plate near you. Scientists have yet to determine exactly how to quantify this damage and exactly what the impact will be on human health over the long term. It may not be possible to entirely rid the world of ocean garbage patches. Some of the plastic material will take an extremely long time to break down and degrade in the environment, while other materials may never fully go away. We do know, however, that if nothing is done, the location and sizes of these garbage patches are likely to increase in size and likely continue to have adverse effects on the environment. One thing we can all do to contribute towards solving the problem is to reduce the use of single-use packaging, such as sandwich bags, juice cartons, straws, and excess packaging. These simple decisions will significantly reduce the plastic you accumulate, and thus the plastic that ends up in the ocean. On a larger scale, there are several ocean cleanup projects ongoing, hoping to rid the world of these ocean garbage patches. One notable effort, known as the Ocean Cleanup Project, is being led by Bojan Slat, a young 24-year-old entrepreneur from the Netherlands. He hopes that by using his ingenious system, we can clean up up to 50% of the Great Pacific garbage patch within the next five years alone. The system consists of a large 600 meter long flotation device that sits at the surface of the water. This device is then connected to a 3 meter deep skirt attached in the water below. The floating component provides buoyancy to the system and prevents plastic from flowing over it, while the skirt below stops debris from escaping underneath. As the system is affected by natural ocean forces such as current, wind, and waves, the system will be propelled through the water, capturing plastic along the way. As the accumulation of plastic increases, the system will slowly move to surround the plastic before a garbage boat will come along to remove the collected plastic to be transported back to shore. The system is also designed to be inherently safe for marine life in several different ways. First and foremost, the system will be moving at extremely slow speeds, allowing marine life to swim away and escape without being caught. Secondly, because the screen is impenetrable, ocean currents will flow underneath the screen guiding with it marine life that cannot actively move, while the plastics that float will remain inside the system. Thirdly, as the screen or skirt is not a net, sea life cannot become entangled like they would a typical fishing net. If a fish comes in contact with the screen, it will simply rub against it as it swims away without becoming trapped. In addition to this, when the plastic is periodically collected, people will be present to check for any marine life before the plastic is lifted out of the water. Efforts like these are slated to make a huge impact on our environment for the better. It is important that we do our part and make cleaning up the oceans a priority over the next few decades. The United Nations has estimated that if nothing is done, the oceans will contain more weight from plastics than fish by the year 2050. Thanks for watching this video. What ways will you help contribute to the cleanup of the ocean garbage patches across the world? Comment below on your ideas and be sure to share, like, and subscribe.