The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is a gyre, or collection of circulating currents, of debris that originated from the Pacific Rim.
The continents of Asia, North America, and South America are responsible for this debris, although the broader responsibility for ocean cleanliness is a problem the whole world needs to contend with.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest of the five offshore plastic accumulation zones in the world’s oceans.
Where Is It?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located in the Pacific Ocean, between California and Hawaii.
In fact, it’s divided into two separate patches, the “Eastern Garbage Patch” and the “Western Garbage Patch”. The former is between California and Hawaii while the latter extends from Japan to the Hawaiian Islands.
The two patches are connected by the Subtropical Convergence Zone. This convergence zone occurs when warm water from the South Pacific merges with cooler water from the Arctic. It functions as a pathway, facilitating the movement of debris from one patch to another.
How Big Is It?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is smaller and less dense than popular perception suggests. Spanning approximately 1.6 million square kilometers, with the densest layers reaching depths of 100 kilograms per square kilometer in the center, it’s about the size of Iran or twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France.
In simpler terms, this patch is equivalent to twice the area of Texas and weighs roughly as much as 500 jumbo jets.
Beneath the surface, the seafloor beneath the Great Pacific Garbage Patch serves as an underwater dumping ground. Recent findings by oceanographers and ecologists reveal that approximately 70 percent of marine debris sinks to the ocean floor, further contributing to the accumulation of waste.
When many envision a “garbage patch,” they imagine a mass of trash resembling an island afloat in the ocean. However, these patches primarily consist of microplastic fragments, which are often invisible to the naked eye and even undetectable by satellite imagery.
Instead of a visible accumulation of garbage, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch appears as a cloudy expanse, peppered with larger items like fishing gear and footwear.
What’s in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Scientists have estimated that around 87,000 tons of plastic, or 1.8 trillion pieces, are in the patch. 94% of these are microplastics while others are larger pieces. Some of the items in the patch are as old as fifty years.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) considers microplastics and the even smaller nanoplastics among the world’s top environmental challenges. As one would expect, there are many plastic debris like water bottles, cell phones, plastic bags, and various microplastics. Other items include baby bottles and pens.
How Did It Form?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is formed by pollution gathered by oceanic currents, which is the movement of seawater driven by force acting on it. The temperature and salinity of seawater, and the trade and prevailing wind are long-term factors affecting the distribution of ocean currents, and tropical cyclones are short-term factors. The majority of the plastic is from land-based sources, some purposefully discarded and some accidentally.
Sources of Marine Debris
It is estimated that up to 80% of marine debris originates from land-based sources, while the remaining 20% comes from sea-based activities.
- Land-Based Sources: Marine debris from land primarily comes from industrial activities and urban usage.
- Industrial Activities: Waste products from industries, including plastics, metals, toxic chemicals, and harmful drugs, can pollute the marine environment if not properly managed. These materials often end up in the sea through drainage systems or are carried by the wind from land to ocean.
- Ocean-based sources of marine debris include:
- Fishing Industry: Discarded fishing gear, such as hooks and nets, often becomes marine trash.
- Recreational Boaters: Boaters may leave behind bags and food packaging.
- Merchant, Military, and Research Vessels: Solid waste from crews or accidental rubbish disposal contributes to marine debris.
- Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms: Items like hard hats, gloves, and storage materials are sometimes dumped into the sea.
Some of the waste was accumulated after a tsunami hit the coast of Japan in 2011.
How Was It Discovered?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch first came to the public’s attention after a 1988 reach mission in the North Pacific Ocean. Researchers at that time found high amounts of debris in the region. They connected this debris to the pattern of currents in the area and estimated that other locations, such as areas of the ocean closer to Japan, would experience something similar.
One of the most famous sightings of the “patch” comes from Charles Moore, a participant in the Transpacific Yacht Race who reported seeing a stretch of debris in the ocean in 1997.
Since, various expeditions, such as the JUNK Raft Project and the Ocean Voyages institute have studied the area and experimented with different cleanup methods.
Oceanographers and ecologists recently discovered that about 70 percent of marine debris actually sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
Can We Clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
In short, yes.
Over the last year or so, various cleanup efforts have been initiated in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The Ocean Cleanup Project is working, using a cleanup system consisting of a 10-foot screen used to catch plastic without harming marine life. While the project was started in 2013, various setbacks have meant that they were only able to start making progress in late-2019. So far, they have described the results as “promising”. The group is working to scale up its designs.
One of the most important concerns when working to rid the ocean of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is to do it in a way that does not harm marine life. One of the most famous attempts is by The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization, founded by Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat.
The Effects of Ocean Pollution
The effects of ocean pollution aren’t contained in the marine environment. The United Nations Ocean Conference estimated that the ocean might have more plastic than fish by 2050, a prediction. Marine species can easily become trapped in plastic nets and rings, leading to their deaths. Creatures ranging from mammals like seals to others like sea turtles, and dolphins to whales are at risk.
The plastic also helps to facilitate the spread of invasive species. Creatures of all sizes get attached to the floating plastic and move from one region to the next, into ecosystems they have no history in. This ends up affecting the broader food chain in the ocean and eventually, those who depend on it for sustenance, this is a process known as bioaccumulation.
Studies indicate that around 900 species have come into contact with marine debris, with 92% of these encounters involving plastic. Of these species, 17% are listed on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species.
The Ocean Cleanup Project estimates that plastic pollution costs 13 billion dollars a year. This is related to tourism, fishing, and cleanup projects and does not take into account the effect on human health.
Legislative Regulations
The government must clarify legal responsibilities and enforce strict penalties for entities that improperly dispose of waste. Relevant authorities should establish a robust punishment system, limit open waste facilities near waterways, prohibit garbage dumping into the sea, and install warning signs in coastal areas.
Since the ocean is a globally shared resource, producers often do not experience the direct negative impacts of marine garbage. Over the past decades, countries have increasingly recognized the necessity of government intervention to address marine pollution. Currently, sea dumping is regulated by international laws, such as the London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, the MARPOL Convention, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the Fishing Grounds and Sea Routes Protection Act.
Future Outlook
With global warming, faster ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean are reducing the time it takes for floating trash to reach the Western or Eastern Garbage Patch, accelerating the growth of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Scientists have found that global warming caused ocean currents to increase in speed by 15% annually over 23 years, from 1990 to 2013. The shrinkage of the upper layer of seawater, due to changes in water temperature, contributes to the increased speed of these currents.
Salvage and Recycling
Marine debris can be seen as misplaced resources. In a complete ecosystem, resource chains are interlinked, and much of the debris can be repurposed. Regular searches, salvage, and transportation of floating garbage can effectively control ocean pollution. Marine debris often includes plastic products, glass bottles, wooden boards, and fishing nets, which can be collected and recycled. Programs encourage boat owners to remove any trash they catch while fishing.
Garbage salvage vessels and “trash traps” in rivers can help collect debris before it reaches the sea. GPS satellite trackers on clean-up ships and satellite imagery can locate waste in real-time, improving cleanup efficiency.
However, there is a concern that removing marine debris might unintentionally capture plankton, crucial for the marine food chain and responsible for over half of Earth’s photosynthesis.
Personal Solutions
Only 9% of all plastic by mass gets recycled. Eventually, an estimated 11% of all plastic waste ends up in aquatic ecosystems. Rivers are a significant source, as some 80% of ocean plastic comes from just 1,000 rivers worldwide, but so too are stormwater runoff, wind-blown litter from landfills or garbage bins, and sewage overflows. Reducing personal litter can significantly decrease the potential for marine pollution. Here are some simple actions individuals can take:
- Use Reusable Products: Opt for reusable bottles, shopping bags, and utensils instead of disposable ones. This reduces marine pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy use.
- Recycle Properly: Recycle different materials and choose recyclable products to minimize plastic entering the ocean.
- Reduce Energy Use: Ride a bike, walk, or use public transport to cut energy consumption. Use efficient appliances and turn off unused devices at home.
- Avoid Microbeads and Microfibers: Use laundry pods, bags, or filters to capture microfibers from clothes before they enter wastewater. This helps reduce microfiber pollution from washing machines.
By adopting these practices, everyone can contribute to cleaner beaches and healthier ocean ecosystems.
Ocean Insights: Hear From Our Experts
By Rida Nasir
Researcher and Conservationist, with an MSc in Environmental Science
As an expert in marine ecology, I am deeply concerned about the state of our oceans, particularly the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. According to my research, about 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean annually. This staggering amount of plastic waste constitutes the majority of ocean litter, with plastic accounting for 86.9% of the observed floating marine debris. In my research, I found that this plastic pollution accumulates in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, creating a vast and harmful environment for marine life. The patch is not a solid island of trash but a swirling soup of microplastics and larger debris, posing severe threats to ocean ecosystems. Addressing this issue requires immediate and sustained action from all of us to reduce plastic waste and protect our oceans for future generations
FAQs
How long will it take to clean up the North Pacific Ocean?
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program has estimated that it would take 67 ships one year to clean up less than one percent of the North Pacific Ocean.
Is cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch worth it?
Marine scientists have been warning that efforts to mechanically take plastics out of our seas are not only futile but also potentially harmful. Futile, because we have learned that much of the plastic waste in the oceans is too small or too out of reach to be captured. And harmful, perhaps, for two reasons: because the latest research shows ocean garbage patches are home to all manner of marine life and because clean-up operations could distract from efforts to stem the flow of such waste at source.
What are the largest contributors to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The main origin of the plastic floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is not the everyday waste sent downriver in countries like the Philippines and India but the large-scale fishing activities of Japan, China, and South Korea.
How much would it cost to clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
At a cost of $5,000-20,000 per day, it would cost between $122 million and $489 million for the year. That’s a lot of money—and that’s only for boat time. It doesn’t include equipment or labor costs.
Who is cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The Ocean Cleanup is currently cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with System 03.
