PlasticPollution

ImagineifplastichadbeeninventedwhenthepilgrimssailedfromPlymouth,England,toNorthAmerica.WhatiftheMayflowerhadbeenstockedwithbottledwaterandplastic‑wrappedsnacks?Theplastictrashfromtheirvoyagewouldprobablystillbearound,fourcenturies later.

Ifthepilgrimshadbeenlikemanypeopletoday,theymighthavetossedtheirtrashoverthesideoftheirship.AtlanticOceanwavesandsunlightwouldhavewornallthatplasticintotinybits.Thosebitsmightstillbefloatingaround,waitingtobeeatenbyfishoroysters,andultimatelyperhapsbyoneof us.

Plasticwasn’tinventeduntilthelate19th century.Massproductionofittookoffaround1950.Inonly70 years,wehaveproducedawhopping9.2billiontonsofplastic.Ofthat,morethan6.9billion tonshavebecomewaste.Andofthatwaste,astaggering6.3billiontonswerenever recycled.

Nooneknowshowmuchunrecycledplasticendsupintheocean.In2015,JennaJambeck,aUniversityofGeorgiaengineeringprofessor,madean estimate.

Isthisaflorist'sshopinChinafilledwithbeautifulflowers?Lookagain.Theseplantsareallmadefrom plastic.

Jambeckprojectedthatbetween5.3and14 milliontonsendupintheoceaneachyear.Mostofitisn’tthrownoffships,though.It’sdumpedonlandorinrivers,mostlyinAsia.It’sthenblownorwashedintothesea.It’sunclearhowlongitwilltakeforthatplastictocompletelybiodegrade,orbreakdown.Estimatesrangefrom450 yearstomaybe never.

Howdidwegethere?Plastichastransformedourlivesasfewotherinventionshave.Plasticeasedtravelintospace.Itrevolutionizedmedicine.Itevenextendedthelifeoffood,intheformofplastic wraps.

Plasticwasevenusedtosavewildlife.Inthemid‑1800s,pianokeys,combs,andothertrinketsweremadeofelephantivory.Withtheelephantpopulationatriskandivoryscarce,acompanyinNewYorkCityofferedarewardtoanyonewhocouldcomeupwithan alternative.

AninventornamedJohnWesleyHyatttookupthechallenge.Hecreatedanewmaterial,celluloid.Itwasmadeofcellulose,thepolymerfoundinallplants.Itbecameknownasplastic.Anythingandeverythingcouldbemadeofplastic,andsoitwas,becauseplasticwascheapto make.

someoftheplasticfoundonHenderson Island

HendersonIsland’sShame

HendersonIslandisatiny,uninhabitedisland.ItsitsinthemiddleofthePacificOcean.Thenearestmajorpopulationcenterissome4,800 kilometers(3,000 miles)away.ThoughitishalfthesizeofManhattan,morethan19 tonsoftrashlitteritswhite,sandybeaches,muchofit plastic.

Researchersestimatethatithasthehighestconcentrationofdebrisofanyplaceintheworld.Theybelieveithasmorethan37 millionpiecesoftrash.Foreverysquaremeteryouwalk,onaverageyou’llfind672 piecesoftrash.Foreachvisiblepieceofdebrisonthebeach,twopiecesareburiedinthe sand.

HowdoessomuchtrashwashashoreonHendersonIsland?TrashbobsacrossglobalseasuntilitgetssweptintotheSouthPacificgyre.Thegyreisacircularoceancurrentthatfunctionslikeaconveyorbelt.ItcollectstrashandsendsitstraighttoHenderson’sshoreatarateofmorethan3,500 piecesa day.