Summary of Where Is The Biggest Garbage Dump On Earth?

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the world's biggest garbage dump, located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and created by massive rotating ocean currents. It spans from Japan to California and contains 80% of all ocean-going trash and 10% of the plastic created each year. The patch is so vast that it's considered two separate garbage patches connected to a convergent zone of trash that's inestimable in size. Plastic in the patch takes up to 500 years to degrade, breaks down into smaller versions called nurdles, and becomes toxic when merged with phytoplankton and eaten by sea animals. Researchers estimate that it would take 67 trawlers a year to clean up just 1% of the GP Squared. Instead, finding alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics and expanding recycling programs would be a better alternative to control plastics on land that eventually end up as ocean-going trash.

• 00:00:00 In this section, we learn about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is the world's biggest garbage dump. Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, the patch is a vast amount of trash that has accumulated and resides in the North Pacific Gyre, which is created by gyres (massive rotating ocean currents). The GP Squared is considered vast as it spans from Japan to California and is so large that it's considered two separate garbage patches connected to a convergent zone of trash that's inestimable in size. The patch contains 80% of all ocean-going trash and 10% of the plastic created each year. Researchers say plastic can take up to 500 years to degrade and won't break down into its original components but break down into smaller and smaller versions called nurdles, which merge with phytoplankton and are eaten by sea animals, resulting in nurdles' powerful toxicity. Scientists estimate cleaning the patch would take 67 trawlers a year to clean up 1% of the GP Squared. Instead, finding alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics and expanding recycling programs would be a better alternative to control plastics on land that eventually end up as ocean-going trash.