What are plastic islands and how are they formed

Islands of waste 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.

These large patches of garbage in the seas are, without a doubt, the fault of humans , since we are the only ones who consume this material and then dump it into the oceans, directly or indirectly by throwing it into inappropriate landfills or areas where River waters, sooner or later, carry them to 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 some examples of the causes of this problem better.

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 with polluted water into the seas and oceans.
• 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.

There are those who wonder how the island of garbage was formed , because 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 marine and ocean currents that 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 find 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 the also known North Atlantic garbage patch , which was discovered in 2009.

In 2016, 5 large plastic islands were registered 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 plastic islands 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.

The islands of plastics 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. Among the main consequences of the 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.

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. However, on a personal level we can do a lot to improve this problem, especially if we add together what each one can do, because the more involved, the greater the effect. Here are tips for possible solutions for plastic and trash islands :

• 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 water 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 they are formed , we recommend that you enter our category of Other ecology .