CAPE COD CHRONICLE RECYCLING COLUMN

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

A massive glob of plastic is swirling around in the Pacific Ocean.

1,000 miles west of California and north of Hawaii, the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is an ugly stew of plastic and marine debris larger than Texas and sometimes reaching a depth of 300 feet. It collects in this area due to the clockwise trade winds circulating along the Pacific Rim. The main ingredients? Plastic bottles, plastic bags and plastic manufacturers' discarded waste.

How did it get there? Consider this: Someone tosses a plastic water bottle on the ground. During the next rain it flows into a storm drain, makes its way to the ocean, and in a few weeks reaches the Garbage Patch. While it was floating along, instead of biodegrading it "photodegraded." The sun's UV rays made it brittle, eventually breaking it down into tiny pieces which join the other plastics of the "island," interspersed with large pieces of junk like discarded fishing nets and waterlogged tires..

Any meaningful cleanup operation has so far evaded experts. It is simply too big and too far.

Why do we care? Because it is choking, starving and sickening birds, turtles, fish and other animals; reducing many ocean species' populations and overall diversity; getting caught in boat engines and propellers; and spoiling the natural beauty of our oceans.

What can we do?
*Reduce use of plastics whenever possible.
*Use a reusable bag when you shop.
*Take your trash with you when you leave the beach, park, etc.
*Make sure your trash containers are securely closed.
*Recycle, recycle, recycle

***One group that's part of the solution is the Chatham High School Recycling Club. Thanks to them for their recent hospitality and their fine work recycling plastic bottles!***

ChathamRecycles.org

spot illustration © 2007 by Bob Staake - All Rights Reserved

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