Plastic Pollution

Imagineifplastichadbeeninventedwhenthepilgrimssailed toNorthAmerica.WhatiftheMayflower hadbeenfilledwithplastic‑wrappedsnacks?Thetrashwouldprobablystillbehere,fourcenturies later.

Plasticwasinventedinthelate19thcentury.Itsmassproductionstartedin1950.Inonly70years,wehaveproducedawhopping9.2 billiontonsofplastic.Ofthat,morethan6.9billiontonshavebecomewaste.And,ofthatwaste,6.3 billiontonswerenever recycled.

Isthisaflorist’sshopfilledwithflowers?Lookagain.Theseplantsareallmadefrom plastic.

Nooneknowshowmuchplasticendsupintheocean.Butoneprofessor guessed.

ProfessorJennaJambeckcalculatedthatbetween5.3and14 milliontonsofplasticendupintheoceaneachyear.Williteverbiodegrade, orbreakdown?Maybe.Maybe not.

Plastichastransformedourlivesinmanyways.Iteasedtravelintospace.Itchangedmedicine.Itextendedthelifeoffood.Plasticevensavedwildlife. Inthemid‑1800s,elephantivorywasusedtomakecombsandothertrinkets.Ivorybecamescarce.Acompanyofferedarewardtowhoevercouldcreateanalternative.InventorJohnWesleyHyattcreatedamaterialfromasubstancefoundinplants.Itbecameknownas plastic.

someoftheplasticfoundonHenderson Island

HendersonIsland’sShame

HendersonIslandisatinyisland.ItsitsinthemiddleofthePacificOcean.Noonelivesthere.AnditishalfthesizeofManhattan.Yetmorethan19tonsoftrashlitteritsbeaches,mostofit plastic.

Researchersestimatethatithasthegreatestamountofdebrisforitssizeofanyplaceintheworld.Theythinkithasmorethan37 millionpiecesoftrash.Foreverysquaremeteryouwalk,you’llfindabout672piecesoftrash.Foreachpieceofdebrisyouseeonthebeach,twopiecesareburiedinthesand.HowdoessomuchtrashwashashoreonHenderson Island?

TrashbobsacrosstheseasuntilitgetssweptintotheSouthPacificgyre.Thegyreisacircularoceancurrent.Itfunctionslikeaconveyorbelt.Thegyrecollectsplastictrash.ThenitsendsittoHenderson’s shores.