Trash Island in the Middle of Pacific Ocean
At times, we justify not investing our time in locating a suitable waste receptacle to dispose of our garbage. Discarding a cigarette butt out of a car window, spitting gum onto the pavement, letting napkins flutter away on the breeze, or casually tossing an empty plastic bottle into a gutter may seem innocuous. However, the cumulative effect of such actions eventually leads to an unsettling consequence. In 1997, Charles Moore unveiled the culmination of this neglect—an immense trash repository situated within the heart of our ocean. This colossal garbage expanse is so immense that it could enclose the state of Texas twice over; it's called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Among the globe's five prominent garbage concentrations, the largest, known as the Pacific garbage patch, is positioned 1,000 miles to the northeast of Hawaii. Depths within this accumulation occasionally plummet to 90 feet.
Approximately 3.5 million tons of refuse—ranging from light bulbs, Styrofoam cups, and plastic bags to bottle caps, Popsicle sticks, discarded bottles, cans, fishing apparatus, nets, buoys, and even toothbrushes—constitute this patch. Of this assemblage, plastic makes up more than 80%, an alarming fact attributable to plastic's inability to entirely decompose and biodegrade despite its tendency to fragment over time. Consequently, the build-up is swift, especially considering the ubiquity of disposable plastic items, like water bottles, utilized worldwide. This signifies that all plastic ever produced by humans remains extant on the planet, whether in minuscule fragments or otherwise. It's estimated that there exist approximately 46,000 plastic particles per square kilometer in the ocean.
Noteworthy Tidbit: Mayor Bloomberg of New York City contributed to diminishing the city's plastic output by opting for water jugs instead of disposable bottles at significant gatherings and events, including his 2011 State of the City Address. Bloomberg is also an ardent advocate for substituting reusable bags for groceries.
A Word of Appreciation
Taking a moment we would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to a group of environmentally responsible companies for their continues support and significant contribution.
- Edison, NJ Dumpster Rentals: Yannuzzi Group
- Pro Star Dumpster Service: Dayton, OH Roll Off Dumpsters & Junk Removal
- E & J Disposal Company Roll Off Dumpster Rental in West Chicago
- Published: 2023-08-12T20:28:49-07:00
- Author: Anna Krupp Laura Schmidt
