What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?

A swirling sea of plastic bags, bottles and other debris is growing in the North Pacific, described by researchers who sailed there this summer as 'shocking.' How did it get there? And is there anything we can do to stop it?

By Russell McLendon

Tue, Sep 08 2009 at 8:30 AM EST

Read more: OCEANS, PLASTICS, POLLUTION

Not all garbage ends up at the dump. A river, sewer or beach can't catch everything the rain washes away, either. In fact, Earth's largest landfill isn't on land at all.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch stretches for hundreds of miles across the North Pacific Ocean, forming a nebulous, floating junk yard on the high seas. It's the poster child for a worldwide problem: plastic that begins in human hands yet ends up in the ocean, often inside animals' stomachs or around their necks. This marine debris has quickly sloshed into the public spotlight this year, thanks to growing media coverage and to teams of scientists who visited the North Pacific last month to study plastic pollution in action.

What's it made of?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has sometimes been described as a "trash island," but that's a misconception, says Holly Bamford, director of NOAA's Marine Debris Program. If only things were that simple.

"We could just go out there and scoop up an island," Bamford says. "If it was one big mass, it would make our jobs a whole lot easier."

Instead, it's like a galaxy of garbage, populated by billions of smaller trash islands that may be hidden underwater or spread out over many miles. That can make it maddeningly difficult to study — Bamford says we still don't know how big the garbage patch is, despite the oft-cited claim that it's as big as Texas.

"You see these quotes that it's the size of Texas, then it's the size of France, and I even heard one description of it as a continent," she says. "That alone should lend some concern that there's not consistency in our idea of its size. It's these hot spots, not one big mass. Maybe if you added them all up it's the size of Texas, but we still don't know. It could be bigger than Texas."

While there's still much we don't understand about the garbage patch, we do know that most of it's made of plastic. And that's where the problems begin.

Unlike most other trash, plastic isn't biodegradable — i.e., the microbes that break down other substances don't recognize plastic as food, leaving it to float there forever. Sunlight does eventually "photodegrade" the bonds in plastic polymers, reducing it to smaller and smaller pieces, but that just makes matters worse. The plastic still never goes away; it just becomes microscopic and may be eaten by tiny marine organisms, entering the food chain.

About 80 percent of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from land, much of which is plastic bags, bottles and various other consumer products. Free-floating fishing nets make up another 10 percent of all marine litter, or about 705,000 tons, according to U.N. estimates. The rest comes largely from recreational boaters, offshore oil rigs and large cargo ships, which drop about 10,000 steel containers into the sea each year full of things like hockey pads, computer monitors, resin pellets and LEGO octopuses. But despite such diversity — and plenty of metal, glass and rubber in the garbage patch — the majority of material is still plastic, since most everything else sinks or biodegrades before it gets there.

How is it formed?

Earth has five or six major oceanic gyres — huge spirals of seawater formed by colliding currents — but one of the largest is the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, filling most of the space between Japan and California. The upper part of this gyre, a few hundred miles north of Hawaii, is where warm water from the South Pacific crashes into cooler water from the north. Known as the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, this is also where the trash collects.

Bamford refers to the convergence zone as a "trash superhighway" because it ferries plastic rubbish along an elongated, east-west corridor that links two spinning eddies known as the Eastern Garbage Patch and the Western Garbage Patch. The whole system collectively makes up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

It may take several years for debris to reach this area, depending where it's coming from. Plastic can be washed from the interiors of continents to the sea via sewers, streams and rivers, or it might simply wash away from the coast. Either way, it can be a six- or seven-year journey before it's spinning around in the garbage patch. On the other hand, fishing nets and steel containers are often dropped right in with the rest of the trash.

What's the problem?

Marine debris threatens environmental health in several ways. Here are the main ones:

• Entanglement: The growing number of abandoned plastic fishing nets is one of the greatest dangers from marine debris, Bamford says. The nets entangle seals, sea turtles and other animals in a phenomenon known as "ghost fishing," often drowning them. With more fishermen from developing countries now using plastic for its low cost and high durability, many abandoned nets can continue fishing on their own for months or years. One of the most controversial types are bottom-set gill nets, which are buoyed by floats and anchored to the sea floor, sometimes stretching for thousands of feet.

Virtually any marine life can be endangered by plastic, but sea turtles seem especially susceptible. In addition to being entangled by fishing nets, they often swallow plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish, their main prey. They can also get caught up in a variety of other objects, such as this snapping turtle that grew up constricted by a plastic ring around its body.

• Small surface debris: Plastic resin pellets are another common piece of marine debris; the tiny, industrial-use granules are shipped in bulk around the world, melted down at manufacturing sites and remolded into commercial plastics. Being so small and plentiful, they can easily get lost along the way, washing through the watershed with other plastics and into the sea. They tend to float there and eventually photodegrade, but that takes many years. In the meantime, they wreak havoc with sea birds such as the short-tailed albatross.

Albatross parents leave their chicks on land in Pacific islands to go scour the ocean surface for food, namely protein-rich fish eggs. These are small dots bobbing just below the surface, and look unfortunately similar to resin pellets. Well-meaning albatrosses scoop up these pellets — along with other floating trash such as cigarette lighters — and return to feed the indigestible plastic to their chicks, which eventually die of starvation or ruptured organs. Decaying albatross chicks are frequently found with stomachs full of plastic debris (see photo above).

• Photodegradation: As sunlight breaks down floating debris, the surface water thickens with suspended plastic bits. This is bad for a couple of reasons. First, Bamford says, is plastic's "inherent toxicity": It often contains colorants and chemicals like bisphenol-A (PDF), which studies have linked to various environmental and health problems, and these toxins may leach out into the seawater. Plastic has also been shown to absorb pre-existing organic pollutants like PCBs from the surrounding seawater, which can enter the food chain — along with BPA and other inherent toxins — if the plastic bits are accidentally ingested by marine life.

What can we do?

The discoverer of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Capt. Charles Moore, once said a cleanup effort "would bankrupt any country and kill wildlife in the nets as it went."

"He makes a really good point there," Bamford says. "It's very difficult."

Still, NOAA conducts flyovers to study the garbage patch, and two research teams sailed there this summer to collect debris and water samples. Scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography held a press conference in August after returning from their three-week voyage, telling reporters they were shocked at the amount of trash they found — large items as well as a vast underwater haze of photodegraded plastic flakes. They're now analyzing their samples to determine how all that plastic interacts with the marine environment.

Meanwhile, the international Project Kaisei team also spent August in the garbage patch, studying its contents in hopes of eventually recycling them or turning them into fuel. And "adventure ecologist" David de Rothschild is pushing onward with his plans to sail around the garbage patch in a boat made entirely of recycled plastics, despite some construction troubles. His journey is intended to highlight the connection between plastic trash on land and plastic trash at sea.

Ultimately, more plastic recycling and increased use of biodegradable materials is the best hope for controlling the garbage patch, Bamford says, but that's an uphill battle.

"We need to turn off the taps at the source. We need to educate people on the proper disposal of things that do not break up, like plastics," she says. "Opportunities for recycling have to increase, but, you know, some people buy three bottles of water a day. As a society, we have to get better at reusing what we buy."

Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version, which first appeared June 9, 2009.

Photos courtesy NOAA

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Comments(69)

Posted By josh - Wed, Feb 03 2010 at 4:33 AM EST

so...

Is any one that saw this actually going to stop using plastic from this point forward? I didn't think so...so stop posting and pretending like you care.

Posted By bert - Wed, Feb 03 2010 at 3:48 PM EST

Re: so...

even if you don't abandon all plastic, you could still use less of it, or recycle what you do use so it doesn't wind up in the ocean. it's not all or nothing.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Feb 03 2010 at 4:50 PM EST

Recycle All Goods

Everyone has the choice to recycle all houseold rubbish. Just choose the right bins to put stuff in.

Posted By Andrew - Mon, Dec 14 2009 at 2:04 PM EST

do you love erezioni more than clean air?

Well, we can't force people to clean it up. It's their mother nature just to relax and calm and wait for other to clean it up for them. Even if they know if they help to clean it up, they will feel better too. Dunno, what is exactly in their mind. erezioni

Posted By Chris - Sun, Dec 13 2009 at 10:25 AM EST

wowowo....

Really nice topic you discussed in here. However, why I think it is monotone? But, I agree that we must start to think and save our environment. By separating the garbage type and throw garbage into trash can is the most basic thing that we can do. wowowo seems to be a nonsense word. Find out more.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Feb 03 2010 at 4:53 PM EST

Article

This is a very grave issue.Dumping garbage into oceans destroying the marine life. Is there any way to deal with it

Posted By wowifulio - Sat, Dec 05 2009 at 10:44 AM EST

wow

wow.seeing this really opens my eyes.our earth is worse than we think !!! i have never ever heard of the garbage patch and odds are most other people havent either. we need to let people know so they can help. kitkat has a piont using paper waste trees but it is a start. if a child can figured that out you would thi nk adults can too

Posted By kitkat - Fri, Dec 04 2009 at 3:10 PM EST

wow i cant believe my eyes

I cant believe humans can actually be this self centered! People could at least try.The Garbage Patch is rediculious. I know all beaches have garbage cans and most have a ben for every thing from nonrecyclable and recycable objects.I CANT BELIEVE WERE TO LAZY TO SAVE OUR EARTH!!!!

Posted By Teresa Coertzen - Mon, Feb 08 2010 at 1:05 PM EST

It got there VIA Rivers and the Current.

You see. The plastic and other rubbish we through away each day, get washed from the dumping sites, and flow down with the streams of water, and enter the rivers. Then the rivers empty their contents into the ocean, and the Current, takes it from there. The island (Or Continent) are formed by the currents, that keep on circulating the water there in the Pacific Ocean..

I am starting the rush! I Want to go there and start to take down the island (or Continent!!!) Anyone want to.... More

Posted By OK Now What? - Wed, Dec 02 2009 at 8:55 AM EST

What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?

Why don't we get back to making bottles out of glass?
No side effects from chemicals, totally biogrades.

Posted By Savana - Mon, Dec 07 2009 at 9:09 PM EST

What is the great pacific ocean garbage patch

glass biodegrades?....

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Nov 24 2009 at 4:07 PM EST

My Imaginary Solution

I say, we should get rid of the trash at the dumps and streets first, by putting them all in a black hole. Then, collect all the trash in the ocean. Starting, now.
Need more jobs right? Overpoplution is bad enough. Less jobs opened. Well, getting paid to clean the oceans, I bet people wouldn't mind. At least it's saving our world. We just need a less ignorant goverment to notice how much more important this is then destroying other countries. Wish this could all be possible.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Dec 02 2009 at 10:41 AM EST

sad to see

This is so sad to see all this in the ocean. We definitely need to do something about. Why would people do this.

Posted By Karl - Thu, Nov 12 2009 at 9:49 AM EST

plastic is not the biggest worry

I do not think that plastic is the biggest worry in the matter. Obviously, the involved-in great industrial countries - namely USA and Japan - did not tell us the whole truth; I bet that toxic chemical products are in that zone of the Pacific.

Regards,
http://www.quantshare.com

Posted By Anonymous - Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 11:45 AM EST

Protect environment

Its always good to learn tips like you share for blog posting. As I just started posting comments for blog and facing problem of lots of rejections. I think your suggestion would be helpful for me. I will let you know if its work for me too.
Thanks and keep post such a informative blogs.

Posted By Anonymous - Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 11:45 AM EST

Thata Hilarious..

Thanks very much for the post..

I think every individual of the work should work on recycling of the garbage

Posted By Library App - Thu, Oct 29 2009 at 7:34 AM EST

awesome

it is awesome mistake as made by humans even thrashing everything into the ocean and the expansion of this garbage patch is just mesmerizing.

Posted By Jenny - Mon, Nov 02 2009 at 5:37 PM EST

No mistake

You can not blame what had happened in the history. People didn't know about this before. But since we knew, it is our responsibility to protect our nature. It will cause us more money, but in long run it may save our lives.

Posted By Richard Turner - Fri, Nov 27 2009 at 10:26 AM EST

No mistake

humans knew about this beofre it happened. It was predicted long before the trash was there that the ocean currents met at those pioints and that things would gravitate to those areas of the oceans and still we didnt nothing. This is a global problem that needs commitment from every country on earth.

Posted By Mr LEED Trainer - Wed, Oct 21 2009 at 9:42 PM EST

Concerned

I am saddened at the way the environment has been abused. Being involved with LEED certification (everblueenergy.com), makes me feel I am one step closer to helping the environment. I believe with taking the time to reuse, recycle, save energy and build LEED certified buildings will slowing pull us away from stories of pollution.

Posted By Anonymous - Mon, Oct 19 2009 at 3:28 PM EST

Problem with Plastic

The main problem with plastic -- besides there being so much of it -- is that it doesn't biodegrade. No natural process can break it down. (Experts point out that the durability that makes plastic so useful to humans also makes it quite harmful to nature.) Instead, plastic photodegrades. A plastic cigarette lighter cast out to sea will fragment into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic without breaking into simpler compounds, which scientists estimate could take hundreds of years. The small.... More

Posted By Will - Wed, Feb 03 2010 at 6:34 PM EST

Problem with Plastic

Oh my gosh you really know what your talking about! I'm so glad you just repeated exactly what was in the video...

Posted By auctions - Fri, Oct 09 2009 at 1:50 AM EST

nice blog

nice post - I don't think it would necessarily happen that way. Interesting comments..

Posted By Greg - Sat, Sep 26 2009 at 6:18 PM EST

Uh Yeah

The Manufacturing Of Plastic Embeds Oil In Th Polymers To Bind The Atoms Together That Forms The Rubber & Plastic That Is Why It Isn't Broken Down By Nature, You Don't Drink Fuel For Breakfast Lunch Or Dinner. Consider A So Called Energy Crisis An Opportunity Instead Of A Plague On Lifestyles Or A Threat To Humanity? Whatever, Do What You Want, The Facts Are Facts.

Posted By MNN User - Wed, Dec 02 2009 at 10:42 AM EST

Absolutely disgustin

We are just exploiting this earth.. its been such a wonderful. thing to be living on this planet.. we are just destroying.. it..

Posted By Troy Clarke - Fri, Sep 25 2009 at 5:16 AM EST

We need to clean that one up...

...but how can it possibly be done?

Maybe we really need to consider unconventional ideas. How about, for example, high-yield and thus clean thermonuclear explosions (more than 98% of energy released coming from fusion)? About 15 explosions in the 50MT range should be sufficient to clean up the dense central part of that patch. Also, the results would help us assess our aging stockpile of nuclear weapons, which we might one day need to save our nation (China anyone?!)...

So yes,.... More

Posted By Richard Turner - Fri, Nov 27 2009 at 10:31 AM EST

We need to clean that one up?

You want to fire nuclear weapons into our oceans....??? I for one think that is a terrible idea. If you really want to do somthing then donate money to these guys. We need a workable solution and I think they might be able to find it. http://www.projectkaisei.org/documentary.html

Posted By Marjolein - Wed, Jan 27 2010 at 7:50 AM EST

This helps :-)

Thanks for sharing that link Richard. Its good to see that there is something done about it. And we don't have to wonder what we as one little person have to do, we can join forces for good causes like this.

Don't give up. There's no need to give up.. is the only message that inspires creative thinking and action. Though I agree on the no-nuke part.. that just might feel good to some because you feel angry and think the problem is blown away fast and out of sight that way. One problem.... More

Posted By Mark - Fri, Sep 18 2009 at 6:34 PM EST

The End of Earth

Humans should be sterilized..they are a cancer on everything beautiful. Earth was a jewel, an oasis of life surrounded by hundreds of light years of nothingness that took two billion years to form from the efforts of other responsible life forms, and this monstrous species arrives to inflict destruction and death on life itself. The human species is far too criminal and loathsome to live.

Posted By car1951 - Fri, Aug 28 2009 at 12:29 PM EST

Read it and weep

There comes a time the world is worth more than our easy life. Unless there is a proven need for plastic and a proven disposal method--then its time to outlaw its use. It does not matter if its just the United States--its a start.

Posted By Anonymous - Sat, Aug 08 2009 at 11:22 PM EST

Why?????????????????

Is there anyone out there that is doing anything to help?

Posted By kitkat - Sat, Dec 05 2009 at 9:30 AM EST

yeah were helping

People need to know about this. I learned about his during school and aur teacher took us to this website. When i told people they didnt have a clue.So mi friend and I are going to make flyers( yes its a waste of trees but atleast its a start ) and post them all over the place.

Posted By Richard Turner - Fri, Nov 27 2009 at 10:36 AM EST

YES there is

I have been looking for the answer to that exact question and I think these guys are doing the best they can but need all of our help.
http://www.projectkaisei.org/documentary.html

Posted By Theresa D - Tue, Aug 04 2009 at 10:21 PM EST

THE SILENT KILLER

I'm shocked that..for the most park, people know and don't care when plastics are disposed and not recycled. Usually done out of laziness and a lack of respect for our planet. It's the silent killer. The amount of waste collected in the "Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch" has doubled since it was first discovered. Visiting New Zealand and Australia, which are very GREEN, I discovered that, as a country, we too can do what hey have done to help prevent further devastation to Mother.... More

Posted By Guy - Sun, Aug 02 2009 at 3:21 PM EST

COME ON PEOPLE!!!!

When did we go so far off track? This really upsets me, how can we take something as beautiful and irreplaceable as our Earth and systematically destroy every habitable piece of land and every corner of the oceans. Animal Activists need to move up a gear - Sea Shepeard has the right idea, more power to them!!
I like the idea of sending super tankers to pick up what they left behind, as the article stated, "would bankrupt any country and kill wildlife in the nets as it went." This is where.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jul 10 2009 at 8:17 PM EST

what a dissapointment

honesty this is EVERYONES fault..I cannot believe how selfish the human race is sometimes..we often overlook the beauty in life.which is MOTHER NATURE...we dont think about other animals out there that dont harm us..but yet we're doing everything possible to HURT THEM..STOP THROWING TRASH IN places that you shouldnt be. ITS CALLED RECYCLE..thats the least you can do. Humans are the ones to blame. I justfeel sorry for the animals out there that are on the **** end of this.

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jun 24 2009 at 4:25 PM EST

Money?!

The question is not how much the clean up costs, but do we have the resources?
also looking at wikipeida http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch only one org is doing something about this ?!, i mean no one else?

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Jun 23 2009 at 4:21 PM EST

8 years of Bush did this

THE RUPUGNICANTS ARE TO BLAME

Posted By Anonymous - Tue, Aug 04 2009 at 10:33 PM EST

A ridiculous statement!

Passing blame on one group or type of people is absolutely ridiculous. I'm sorry but we as American's did not do this alone. These plastics are coming from other regions of the world. People need to resolve their indifference of political views as there is a bigger picture here. Hate does not rid of any problem. The "SILENT KILLER" comment was correct. You can help by doing just a little bit more. Passing the word to friends, family and strangers when seeing garbage dropped in rain.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jul 03 2009 at 11:06 PM EST

It's everyone's fault!

Seriously!? Do you really think that one man or his administration or policies caused a giant patch of trash in the ocean? We, the human race, have been discarding our junk with no thought of the consequences for decades before Bush came along. This thing cannot be blamed on the leadership of any one nation. It is a global issue that the entire world has contributed to and the resolve will come from a global effort. Leave your political biased out, please!

Posted By Anonymous - Wed, Jul 01 2009 at 4:07 PM EST

"8 years of Bush did this"...?

You just read an article that said it takes these materials seven years to reach the gyre. If you can put together an idiotic neologism like "repugnicants," I'm pretty sure you can do a little simple subtraction.

When you have one person or group of people that you blame for everything, that's called scapegoating. It's one of those mental habits that make you stupid.

Posted By Anonymous - Fri, Jun 19 2009 at 3:43 PM EST

Use Less

Go to USELESS.org. Start thinking differently about consumption. We made this mess, we need to get ourselves out of it.

Posted By Darrell - Sun, Oct 04 2009 at 10:03 PM EST

Useless

USELESS interesting. Regardless of the materials used the products this company sells are using fuel and others resources to make. And they are also really expensive.

Perhaps going to The Salvation Army is a much more effective way of USELESS?

Posted By David - Mon, Jun 15 2009 at 3:50 AM EST

Ocean Garbage patch

Yes, there are ways to clean this up but they are very people intensive and until we get more people interested in keeping the oceans clean, those cleaners would be fighting a losing battle.

See junk on the beach? Pick it up and either pop it in the garbage or recycling bins if they have them. Otherwise it's going to float out with the tide. Use refillable stuff rather than one use plastic water bottles.

Posted By SANDSTONE - Wed, Jun 10 2009 at 11:37 AM EST

Say No to Plastic

I began writing a blog on the plastic pollution in our oceans and the environment in 2008. Our site focuses on plastic pollution, looking for solutions, and also working with businesses that can effect change.

Say No to Plastic can be found here: http://saynotoplastic.wordpress.com/. We have just posted a video entitled "It's Just a Plastic Bag . . . Right?"

Finally, we

Posted By ZAXZUS - Sat, Jun 13 2009 at 4:51 PM EST

re-use it

OVER 10 YEARS AGO A MAN A BUMB TO BE HONEST CAME UP WITH A WAY TO RECYCLE PAPER PLASTIC OLD TIRES PLASTIC WATER AND POP BOTTLES OLD FISHING NETS AND MORE NOTHING FANCY BUT IT'S CHEEP AND EASY

Posted By ZAXZUS - Sat, Jun 13 2009 at 6:00 PM EST

RE-USE IT

SORRY I'M NEW AT THIS HE TOOK TRASH LAYERED IT IN A WAY THAT TURNED IT INTO BUILDING MATIERIALS HE TURNED THIS INTO A GREEN ISLAND ANYBODY COULD DO THE SAME THING HIS ISLAND WAS OVER AN ACRE WHEN I LEARNED OF IT TREES PLANTS GRASS LOOKS LIKE LAND EVERYTHING GROWING AND ALIVE
WHY NOBODY ELSE IS DOING THIS I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING HE USED TO MAKE HIS ISLAND WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A LAND FILL OR DUMPED INTO THE SEA BUT HE TURNED IT INTO AN ISLAND NON HARMFUL TO ANYTHING AND WE COULD ALL MAKE.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Thu, Jun 18 2009 at 11:35 PM EST

caps!

Quit yelling.

Posted By Flylowdj - Fri, Jun 19 2009 at 1:53 PM EST

Yelling

Sometimes yelling is the only way to get your frustration out. since the 60's there are those of us who have been talking about the need to recycle, reuse, etc and have been doing so. Some from California remember water shortages where we learned to use alot less water doing daily chores. finally the rest of the world is starting to wake up. Don't sit on your rusty dustys, what you do in your own home and lives can make a huge difference and it doesn't really take that much.... More

Posted By Anonymous - Sat, Jun 13 2009 at 8:38 PM EST

Ow

Now my eyes are broken. Thanks.


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What is the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?

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