The Plastic Crisis: Gpgp's Pollution Problem

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is an area of the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii that has become a dumping ground for plastic waste. The amount of plastic in the GPGP is increasing at an alarming rate, with an estimated 79,000 tons of plastic debris, or 1.8 trillion pieces, floating in an area roughly three times the size of France. This figure is up to 16 times higher than previously estimated and is expected to continue growing exponentially. The plastic in the GPGP comes from a variety of sources, including commercial fishing gear, bottles, toys, and broken electronics, and it poses a significant threat to marine life and the environment.

The GPGP is increasing exponentially

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a collection of ocean debris, almost exclusively plastic, floating in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii. It is kept in rough formation by a swirling ocean gyre and has been described as a "rotating soup of plastic".

The study also found that the GPGP is growing in size, now covering an area of 1.6 million square kilometres, or 617,763 square miles. This makes it more than twice the size of France and three times the size of Texas. The majority of the plastic in the GPGP is made up of larger pieces, with almost half of the weight of rubbish composed of discarded fishing nets and other commercial fishing gear.

The increase in plastic pollution in the GPGP is attributed to various factors, including the global surge in plastic production and the mismanagement of waste from land, shipping, and fisheries. It is estimated that by the year 2050, there will be more waste plastic in the sea than fish.

Efforts are being made to clean up the GPGP, with organisations such as The Ocean Cleanup developing systems to remove ocean trash. However, some experts argue that the focus should be on preventing plastic from entering the ocean in the first place through strong policies and legislation banning disposable plastics.

Nets make up a significant proportion of the waste

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is the largest accumulation of plastic in the open ocean. It is located in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii, occupying an area roughly four times the size of California or three times the size of France. The GPGP is said to contain roughly 79,000 metric tons of ocean plastic, or 1.8 trillion pieces of trash, with plastic making up 99.9% of this debris. This waste consists of everyday objects such as plastic bottles, children's toys, broken electronics, and abandoned fishing nets.

Fishing nets, in particular, have been identified as making up a significant proportion of the waste in the GPGP. Nets account for 46% of the mass in the GPGP, and they pose a severe threat to marine life. Sea turtles, for example, can become entangled in these "ghost nets," often resulting in their death. Other animals may also collide with the nets and become trapped, unable to free themselves.

The presence of nets and other plastic waste in the GPGP is a result of improper waste management practices and the disposal of fishing equipment. About 80% of the plastic in the GPGP originates from fishing activities at sea, including items such as buoys, eel traps, crates, and oyster spacers. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that fishing gear is designed to be durable and long-lasting, increasing the likelihood of it accumulating offshore and persisting in the marine environment.

The impact of nets and plastic pollution in the GPGP extends beyond the direct harm caused to entangled marine life. Plastic debris can act as a magnet for toxins from the surrounding air and water, becoming increasingly harmful over time. Through bioaccumulation, these chemicals can enter the bodies of animals that ingest the plastic, potentially contaminating the human food chain as well.

Addressing the issue of net and plastic pollution in the GPGP requires a multifaceted approach. Improving waste management strategies, particularly in middle- and lower-income countries, is crucial to reducing plastic emissions. Additionally, specific efforts to retrieve and dispose of abandoned fishing gear can help mitigate the impact of nets on marine life in the GPGP.

The GPGP is almost exclusively plastic

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a collection of ocean debris, almost entirely composed of plastic. It is estimated that the GPGP contains 79,000 metric tons of plastic, which is up to 16 times higher than previously thought. This equates to roughly 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic debris, including microplastics and larger items such as fishing nets and bottles. The patch occupies an enormous area in the Pacific Ocean, spanning 1.6 million square kilometres, or 617,763 square miles, which is more than twice the size of France and three times the size of Texas.

The GPGP is a result of ocean currents, known as gyres, that cause debris to accumulate in circular patches. The plastic pollution in this area is increasing exponentially, according to scientists who have been studying the site using planes and boats. The majority of the plastic in the GPGP is made up of larger pieces, with almost half of the weight of rubbish composed of discarded fishing nets and other commercial fishing gear. However, microplastics, measuring less than 0.5 cm, make up the bulk of the pieces floating in the patch.

The presence of plastic in the GPGP has significant environmental implications. Plastic eventually disintegrates into tiny particles that can be ingested by marine organisms, potentially entering the food chain. There are concerns that clean-up efforts will be overwhelmed by the exponential growth of the patch and the global surge in plastic production. While technological solutions are being explored, such as the Ocean Cleanup project, many emphasize the need for strong policies and legislation to ban disposable plastics and reduce plastic pollution at its source.

The GPGP highlights the urgent need to address the global issue of plastic pollution. With plastic debris accumulating in the oceans at an alarming rate, it is crucial to focus on preventing plastic from entering the marine environment in the first place. While clean-up efforts are important, a more comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of plastic pollution is necessary to tackle this pressing environmental challenge.

The Ocean Cleanup's efforts to clean the GPGP

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organisation that has been researching, extracting, and monitoring plastic pollution in the GPGP and other oceans and rivers for over ten years. The organisation has removed millions of kilograms of plastic from the world's oceans, with the aim of removing 90% of plastic by 2040.

The Ocean Cleanup's strategy is twofold: intercepting plastic in rivers to reduce the amount of pollution that reaches the oceans, and cleaning up the plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. The GPGP, in particular, is a challenge because the plastic pollution is highly diluted, spanning millions of square kilometres. The Ocean Cleanup's solution is to first concentrate the plastic, allowing them to effectively collect and remove it. They do this by creating artificial coastlines, using a long U-shaped barrier that guides the plastic into a retention zone.

The Ocean Cleanup's operations have demonstrated that the GPGP can be cleaned in ten years at a cost of $7.5 billion. The organisation has deployed an additional Interceptor in Guatemala's Rio Motagua basin, and they are also working on a project in Central America. In 2019, The Ocean Cleanup captured its first plastic from the GPGP, and in 2021, they reached proven technology. As of 2025, their total catch is in the hundreds of tons, and they continuously improve their operations to increase their catch.

The Ocean Cleanup also uses GPS trackers and drones to locate plastic hotspots in real time, aiming to clean the patch more efficiently and at a lower cost. They are also researching how plastic breaks down at sea by sorting plastic by size.

The GPGP is growing due to a surge in plastic production

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean, spanning an area from the West Coast of North America to Japan. It is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world, with roughly 79,000 metric tons of plastic floating inside it, according to some estimates. This figure is up to 16 times higher than previously estimated and comprises approximately 1.8 trillion pieces of trash, with plastic making up 99.9% of this debris.

The GPGP is not a static entity, and its location and shape are constantly changing due to seasonal and interannual variabilities of winds and currents. The patch is influenced by the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a large system of swirling ocean currents, including the California Current, the North Equatorial Current, the Kuroshio Current, and the North Pacific Current. These currents contribute to the accumulation of plastic in the GPGP by directing debris towards the patch.

The amount of plastic in the GPGP is increasing due to a surge in plastic production and the durability, low cost, and malleability of plastic materials. Plastic's longevity means it does not easily wear down; instead, it breaks into increasingly tiny pieces known as microplastics. These microplastics are not always visible to the naked eye, and even satellite imagery may not detect them, making it challenging to accurately assess the extent of plastic pollution in the GPGP.

The GPGP is primarily composed of larger pieces of plastic, with three-quarters of the total mass consisting of macro- and mega-plastics. However, in terms of object count, microplastics dominate, representing 94% of the total number of objects. The patch is also characterised by a high concentration of fishing gear and nets, which make up a surprising proportion of the waste. This waste includes various plastic types, such as hard plastics, plastic sheets, plastic lines, and pre-production plastics.

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