A Deep Dive Into The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

While the Great Pacific Garbage Patch harbors all types of trash, the most common types are plastics, which also make up most of the human debris found in the oceans. Of these plastics, microplastics are the most prevalent.¹ Large plastics (often plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic water bottles, and Styrofoam cups) break down from exposure to sunlight, temperature fluctuations, waves, and interactions with marine life.¹,³ These processes break them down into tiny ‘microplastic’ particles that keep getting smaller without degrading. Because of their small size, microplastics pose a threat to marine life as animals often eat them after mistaking these particles for food.¹ Larger plastics in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are also problematic for marine life, posing various threats to wildlife, including getting entangled in the debris or mistaking plastic for food.¹ Loggerheaded turtles, for example, have been observed eating plastic bags due to their visual similarity to jellyfish, and albatrosses feed their chicks plastic pellets after mistaking them for fish eggs.¹ Unfortunately, plastic ingestion can lead to dire consequences, including death from starvation.¹ In addition, marine mammals like seals and dolphins are at risk of drowning after becoming entangled in discarded fishing lines from fishing boats.¹

Cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a daunting task, not only for its sheer size, but also because materials like microplastics are so small that they risk getting caught with marine life during clean up efforts.¹ International politics also play into the hesitancy to clean up the Patch as no nation wants to take responsibility for the clean up efforts since the Patch is so distant from any nation’s coastline.¹ In response to these issues, international organizations have taken it upon themselves to clean up the Patch. The Ocean Cleanup, led by their mission of cleaning up 90% of floating plastic pollution in the ocean, is one organization at the forefront of these efforts.² As for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch itself, the organization has gone through years of testing to determine effective cleanup methods.² Currently, the latest method is using two ships to drag a 2.2-kilometre-long net, which at one point removed a record-breaking 18 tonnes of trash from one sweep.⁴ Aside from cleaning up the Patch, global efforts are continuously being made to help clean up pollution on shores before they even reach the ocean. Despite these efforts, the best solution to the ongoing problem of plastic pollution is to stop waste production at its source.⁵ Overconsumption, unsustainable practices, and improper waste disposal are just a few of the contributors to the issue of marine plastic pollution. As governments and organizations attempt to tackle these issues, we can help by avoiding single-use plastics wherever possible, consuming thoughtfully and sustainably, and becoming more informed about pollution issues.