Imagine a giant “island“ the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean. It floats between Hawaii and the west coast of the United States. Not so unusual, you say? It is when you consider that it’s an island made up of plastic and other trash. Welcome to the Trash Vortex.
Where did all the trash come from?
Some of it comes from large ships and industrial waste. But a lot of
it comes from people like you and me—being careless. Think of the
plastic items you’ve handled today: your toothbrush, the pen you
used to write your English essay, the water bottle you drank from at
soccer practice. All of these items—and many more you use every
day—are made of plastic. If they’re not disposed of properly, they
could end up as part of a floating garbage patch.
How does your trash get way out in the ocean? Let’s say you drop a plastic cup on the ground. The next time it rains, it is washed into a storm drain. The water from the drain empties into a river, taking your cup with it. The river carries your cup along as it flows into the Pacific Ocean.
Once in the ocean, wind and ocean currents push the cup into the North Pacific. There, currents from several different directions come together (see map at right). They combine and swirl slowly in a clockwise motion. The water in the center of the currents is calm. It’s in this calm center where the cup joins three million tons of other trash—in the Trash Vortex.
Many of you might be thinking, “I don’t live near an ocean, so this doesn’t apply to me.“ Researchers at the Algalita Marine Research Foundation want you to know that’s not true. They say that the path that rain and other water takes across land to the ocean is called a watershed. No matter where you live, you are connected to the ocean through your watershed. And the North Pacific Trash Vortex isn’t the only island of trash. Garbage patches are being discovered in other oceans too.
Trash
Takes a Toll
So, why is all this trash a problem if it’s way out at sea? Plastic
takes decades to break down. Meanwhile, the garbage patch keeps
growing and growing. As it expands, more and more seabirds, fish,
and sea turtles get tangled up in the trash. Huge fishing nets, long
lost or discarded, continue to trap and kill marine animals.
Eventually, wind, waves, and the sun break the plastic into smaller pieces, but it never goes completely away. Marine animals mistake the plastic pieces for food. They swallow it, filling up on trash rather than the food they need to stay healthy. Scientists studying the trash vortex have found the bodies of marine mammals with stomachs full of plastic.
You Can
Help!
It’s time to stop this tidal wave of trash entering our oceans.
Celebrate Earth Day (April 22) by pledging to help reduce ocean
trash. Follow the tips below to keep our seas clean and protect
ocean animals.
• Put litter in its proper place: a
trash can.
• Recycle what you can—and ask your town to accept more types of
recyclables.
• Avoid products in excessive packaging that will just be thrown
away.
• Don’t release balloons outside—and ask others not to either.
Balloons end up in water and are mistaken for food by marine
animals.
• Teach other people about the problem of too much trash in our
oceans.
• Join local beach, stream, and river cleanups—or create one
yourself!
