Pacific Garbage Patch

Where is the world’s biggest landfill located? Right smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. By now most people have heard of the Pacific Garbage Patch. Not very many people realize the size of it. In my head I pictured a floating mass of plastic about the size of Vermont. What I found out was that it is two times the size of Texas! Check out this animation on the Greenpeace web site. Something of this size cannot be ignored, but how can something so large be fixed?

We can all help. About 10% of the plastic produced worldwide ends up in the ocean [1].  It would be unrealistic to assume that by recycling we can make the garbage patch go away, but we can slow its growth. I won’t preach about recycling as if not doing it makes you a bad person.

The solution. There is no solution, only ideas, thoughts, and suggestions. Maybe if recycling was mandatory? Or perhaps if there were not only garbage cans on the sidewalks but also recycling cans? Or what about those microbes  I keep hearing about?

Ok, so be on your way and next time you think about throwing a plastic bag out, just think of where it ends up. It may not be where you think it will.