The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the mass of rubbish floating in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California, is 16 times larger than thought, and is actually twice the size of Texas, according to a study in Scientific Reports. Scientists have long known that plastic debris from our everyday lives can be harmful for marine life. The study estimates that the patch covers 1.6 million sq km, and within that there are around 80,000 tonnes of plastic. While global plastic production continues to skyrocket, very little of it gets recycled.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the mass of rubbish floating in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California, is 16 times larger than thought, and is actually twice the size of Texas, according to a study in Scientific Reports. As we previously highlighted, it is becoming a "ticking time bomb" and growing at such a pace that it is visible from space. The study estimates that the patch covers 1.6 million sq km, and within that there are around 80,000 tonnes of plastic. While global plastic production continues to skyrocket, very little of it gets recycled.