Dive Brief:
- A recent study estimates that 5.25 trillion pieces are floating around in the world's oceans, weighing in at 269,000 tons.
- Researchers discovered minute pieces of plastic, created when debris turns brittle and cracks as waves force the waste to collide. Due to their diminished size, the pieces can be found scattered in virtually every inch of the ocean.
- One of the primary researchers behind the study, Andres Cozar, noted that “the current model of management of plastic materials is economically and ecologically unsustainable.”
Dive Insight:
Research concluded that the small pieces of plastic are a recipe for disaster. As debris floats around, it attracts contaminants, which are passed from one organism to the next as part of the food chain.
Dr. Marcus Eriksen, the lead scientist guiding the project, said that the vast scope of the problem renders the collection of the waste impractical. One way to curb the volume of waste is to reduce the production of certain plastics at the manufacturing level.
The U.S. State Department unveiled executive plans in June that would address the massive amount of waste finding its way into oceans. The program, "Trash Free Waters,” uses sustainable design, material recovery, and reuse to curb debris before it has a chance to reach the ocean.
