WHAT ARE THE GREAT PACIFIC
Garbage Islands?
"There are several "garbage islands" or patches floating in the Pacific Ocean. Much of the plastic is comprised of "micro beads" which are now making their way into the human food supply."
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Tweet
How Bad Are They?
Americans alone generate 10.5 million tons of PLASTIC waste a year but recycle only 1 or 2 % of it. An estimated 14 billion pounds of trash-most of it plastic -is dumped in the world’s oceans every year. There are many other Pacific countries that contribute to this problem in greater proportions that America with even lower percentages of recycling.
100,000 marine creatures a year die from plastic entanglement and these are the ones found. Approximately 1 million sea birds also die from plastic.
Did you know a seemingly harmless, single plastic bag can kill multiple animals since they take so long to disintegrate?
One way we can slow the proliferation of these patches is through improved recycling efforts and the banning of single use plastic bags. My lovely wife Linda and I made the switch to canvas and bags made from recycled materials quite some time ago. If everyone made this one small change, just think of the amount of wildlife that could be saved and how much closer man would be to protecting this vital resource for generations to come.
If you would like to know what you can do to help we would love to hear from you. Leave a comment or contact me and we can get started.