I don't typically write about this sort of thing, but it was something I became aware of around a decade ago and has changed how I deal with plastics ever since.
I am not much of a "causes" type of person, I just try to be a good person, help others, and give a shit about our world and other lives. After learning about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch I have changed to be very motivated about recycling as much plastic as I possibly can.
You likely have never heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, most I believe are unaware it exists and to what extreme. Although there are many "Garbage Patches" in the ocean, this specific one is estimated to be twice the size of the state of Texas.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to be up to 9 feet deep and has over 7 million tons of waste, 80% of that being plastics. It is estimated we are using over 1 million plastic bottles per minute 91% of these are not recycled, and a lot of these end up in our oceans.
These garbage patches are not devoid of life, there are many creatures living in these areas and are at serious risk. At least 9% of the fish in the area are estimated to have ingested plastics thinking it is food. This is not limited to fish, as birds in the area have also mistaken plastics for food.
It can take up to five years for plastics to reach the Great Pacific Garbage Patch from North Americ and up to 1 year from Asia. The amount of time it takes for most plastics to degrade will surprise you.
Most of these plastics won't be gone in your lifetime or even if your offspring's. Recycling is extremely effective at solving this problem, as much of this plastic is going to be here forever for all intensive purposes.
Amazingly there are not a lot of good videos on the Garbage Patches, most just show some pictures with some moving music but don't discuss the real problem and what it means.
Anything you can recycle can go a long way to reduce this. Letting just one other person know about this problem can amplify that effect. Recycling paper and other products is a good idea, but recycling plastics is critical to our survival on this planet.
Next time you goto a fast food restaurant or entertainment facility like the movies, watch how much plastic is thrown in with normal trash and is not recycled. I won't even get into our trash problem in general, a problem that is extremely difficult to solve due to the amount mass involved.
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