There is a huge patch, between California and Hawaii that is currently in the news. You might be wondering why we are referring to this as a patch, not patch of land!! It’s because, sadly this patch is garbage, a marine litter, now dubbed, Garbage Island.
This Pacific Trash Vortex is estimated to be twice the size of Texas, a state in America. Situated in the central North Pacific Ocean, this trash piece is made by water currents called North Pacific Gyre, carrying the garbage from shores to here.
The Garbage Island consists of plastic, chemical and other rubbish that come in the way of these gyres. The waste is shaped by 80% land garbage that comes mostly from North American coast and the coast of Japan. Rest 20% is because of the ships dumping 80 tons of debris every week. Adding to that is toxic material of fish nets, waste, and toxic material from the industries.
Contrasting to the size and density, it is not visible to a satellite as most of the contents lie beneath the surface. This waste is consumed by the marine life which is detrimental to them. It doesn’t stop there; these fishes are consumed by humans and can lead to health problems.
This patch was predicted in 1988, but its presence was actually established in 1997. Now, the scientists have taken interest to determine methods to collect the litter and recycle it. All this for life!
