The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: What can we do?

The large patch of plastic garbage that floats through the Pacific Ocean and that marine currents move from one place to another appears periodically in the media. It is one of the largest accumulations of waste in the world, and is mainly composed of plastic.

The stain formed from a combination of factors, including:

• River discharges, which transport waste to the oceans.
• The dumping of waste from ships and oil platforms.
• Garbage thrown from beaches and docks.

Garbage litter is a serious problem for the environment. Plastic waste can take hundreds of years to degrade, and during that time it can cause a number of problems, such as:

• Impact on marine life: Marine animals can become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, which can cause injury or death.
• Beach erosion: Plastic waste can damage beaches and coastal ecosystems.
• Water pollution: Plastic waste can contaminate water, which can have a negative impact on human and animal health.

The main problem is that we do not see this, and ignorance makes us insensitive to the problem. And we only take notice when some news appears in some media, because other media, in an interested manner, immediately try to throw dirt on it to hide the problem.

What can we do to address the problem of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? As users, I think very little, apart from using a minimum of plastic bags and recycling the few that we use.

One of the most effective ways to address the problem of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is to reduce the production of plastic. But unfortunately this does not happen, since more plastic is produced in the world every year.

Some organizations have developed programs to eliminate part of this garbage by different mechanical means, and their awareness of the problem is appreciated, since what they do will benefit everyone.

It is at the level of the countries where they should make the most effort, since they have greater economic and human means to do so, although the most important thing would be to reduce the production of plastics, in favor of other sustainable alternatives, of which there are.

It is a problem of “the will” of the governments of the world. And unfortunately, at the moment there is very little of that.