In 1997, an oceanographer named Charles J. Moore found "plastic island" at the Pacific near Hawaii. This island was named "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" later with another garbage patch between Japan and Hawaii island. More than one hundred eighty thousand tons of garbage can be seen floating on its surface. These are made of 1.8 trillion pieces of trash and plastic. As most people know, marine garbage, as well as garbage inland, are all parts of a significant environmental issue. The garbage patch which is made of those trash debris is also a severe problem.

▲ Garbage patch is serious issue about marine environment.

On Earth, there are five huge garbage patches in the ocean, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Since lots of garbage containing plastic is flowing into the sea, more garbage islands are produced. According to UNEP, eighty-three trillion tons of plastic were produced internationally after the 1950s, and fifty trillion tons of those went to landfills or were discharged into the ocean. In addition, three trillion tons of plastic products are produced every year, and ten million tons are discharged to the sea.

▲ A number of plastic garbage is main cause of garbage patch.

It is difficult to know a garbage patch's size and location. It is because the location of the debris which constructs a garbage patch constantly changes. So, it can be found everywhere in the ocean. Those garbage patches are also made by natural phenomena. As ocean current makes the flow gather at the center of flow back, plenty of garbage congregates around the flow back. However, garbage like plastic cannot sink with water as it floats on the surface. That debris is merged, and a huge garbage patch is made.

▲ Recycling is important to protect the ocean from polluted garbage.

According to a manager in the chemical and waste domain in Bangkok, Thailand UNEP Asia-Pacific office, there are few things that people can do to avoid plastic debris from getting into the ocean. He said that recycling of plastic and the way of discarding are important. In each country, proper law should be made to protect the ocean. People also should try to save nature by recycling thoroughly in their daily life. Ocean pollution and the extinction of marine creatures will be prevented by doing these things.

February 9th, 2020

By Kang Jine Ie