Plastic Pollution Problem

Plastic pollution is a worldwide problem that is threatening the marine environment, food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and is contributing to climate change because plastics are made from fossil fuels. Even though plastic is convenient and has allowed us to revolutionize medicine, cars, space travel, and more, they are hurting us and the rest of life on earth. Plastic has entered the food chain, which is essentially threatening our health. Plastic microfibers are found in our drinking water and can even drift through the air. 

Plastic is negatively impacting all communities but some even more than others like in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. In regards to our community specifically, 7 trillion tiny pieces, 1 million pieces each for every individual in the Bay Area, flow into the San Francisco Bay. We are consuming some of these plastic pellets through the food chain.

Some horrifying statistics include:

• 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our ocean daily.
• HALF of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years
• One garbage truck of plastic is discarded into our oceans every minute.
• Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals are killed by ocean plastic every year.
• Currently there are approximately 51 trillion microscopic pieces of plastic, weighing 269,000 tons.

Right now, there is a collection of marine debris called the “Pacific trash vortex” or Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California, now 3 times the size of France.

The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre bounds the entire Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Gyre is a “large system of swirling ocean currents,” defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is one of five other major ocean gyres which accumulate millions of pieces of plastic.

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