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Have you heard of the garbage islands? If not, you may be surprised by the term, but if you think about it, it is not surprising if we take into account the amount of waste that we dump daily in the seas and oceans. The amount of pollution in the oceans has been studied for more than 35 years, through buoys that collect data, something that affects us all equally, since a large part of the planet and even our own depends on these. weather around the globe. A few years ago, scientists saw islands of garbage forming in certain parts of the oceans, especially with plastics, which are one of the most difficult materials to break down.
If you want to know more about this topic, you have come to the right place. At Ecologista Verde it is a matter that concerns us and we want to inform well to raise awareness. Therefore, in this article we comment what are plastic islands and how are they formed, as well as what consequences they have and what we can do to solve it.
What are plastic islands and what are their causes?
The waste islands are giant clumps of plastics in the oceans. From a distance you can see a huge stain on the surface of the water, but up close you can check each bag, container or piece of plastic that forms it.
Are large garbage patches in the seas are, without a doubt, human fault, as we are the only ones who consume this material and then dump it into the oceans, directly or indirectly by dumping it in inappropriate landfills or in areas where river waters, sooner or later, wash it into the seas and oceans.
It is a great environmental problem, since it is known by all since these materials pollute a lot and that they are one of the materials that take the longest to degrade. Therefore, they have serious consequences for the planet, as we will see later. But first, let's get to know better some examples of the causes of this problem.
Causes of plastic islands in the oceans
- Do not recycle properly.
- Illegal dumping.
- Planes flying over the oceans.
- Boats of all kinds.
- The people who litter the beaches.
- The rivers that flow into the seas and oceans with polluted water.
- The strong winds that carry garbage into the waters.
As we can see, some we can control if we get to it because they depend on us, but others, such as strong winds, are no longer under our control.
How plastic islands are formed
There are those who wonder how the garbage island was formedWell, not only are there really plastics, but they are the vast majority of the waste deposited there. In addition, there are those who believe that there is only one because one in particular has been made known to the whole world, becoming a viral topic, but in reality there are several.
As we have already mentioned, it is a large group of all waste, mainly of plastic origin, that accumulates in oceanic waters. The reason they end up here is that everything we dump, even on land or in rivers, ends up going down to the seas and oceans. In addition, there are ocean and ocean currents which are those that, with the help of the wind, move large amounts of garbage and regroup them in areas of eddies or vortices or, in areas where currents are reduced.
For example in the south pacific ocean We found one of the largest garbage islands that there is today, as it can be seen floating from afar, and it was discovered in 2011. Another is also known North Atlantic garbage patch, which was discovered in 2009.
How many plastic islands are there
In 2016, 5 big plastic islands on the planet. However, there are them of all sizes and in all oceans and seas, so we can say that there are thousands of them. For example, there are islands of plastic in the Mediterranean, in the Caribbean, as well as in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
The difference is undoubtedly the size and that many of them are temporary in these areas, because they move by moving by ocean currents and, most, end up being part of the large ones.
Consequences of plastic islands
The islands of plastic and garbage are truly a danger to the entire planet. There will be those who believe that being away from them does not affect the problem on a personal level, but it does. Between the main consequences of garbage islands we find:
- Deaths of millions of animals a year.
- Animal and plant species in danger of extinction.
- Pollution of the waters, in which we then bathe or use in some way.
- Pollution of the atmosphere or air.
- Changes in climate, for example, is closely related to climate change.
- People with difficulties finding food in the sea, as they usually did. We are talking about economically underdeveloped populations that are fishing villages that are seriously affected by this environmental problem.
What to do to solve the problem of plastic islands
For scientists studying the problem and for the relevant authorities, it is really difficult to trace all waste dumps to reach their source, since many are accidental or due to little information on the subject and others are illegal dumping. Nevertheless, on a personal level we can do a lot to improve this problem, especially if we add together what each one can do, since the more involved, the greater the effect. These are tips from possible solutions for islands of plastic and garbage:
- Recycle all the waste you can, either in containers or in clean points or, failing that, reuse.
- It supports the associations that are dedicated to this end.
- Help spread the word and raise awareness.
- Volunteer to clean the waters and beaches, as waste is removed and recycled or managed properly.
- Report to the authorities the infractions that you know or see committed on this matter.
If you want to read more articles similar to What are plastic islands and how are they formed, we recommend that you enter our category of Other ecology.
