And within one year, 97% might end up back on land. According to our modelling, within one month, more than 80% of what remains afloat has the potential to beach on a coastline not far from where it entered the ocean. Of this plastic, the majority only stays afloat in the ocean for a brief period of time.īecause about half of this plastic floats, a substantial amount of trash quickly sinks into the sediment. THE PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELLĮvery year about a million tons of plastic pollution enter the world’s oceans. We’ve studied the issue for years, yet here we are, working to clean up plastic directly from the oceans. When someone learns about ocean plastic pollution, the most common initial response we hear is, “Let’s just hire some ships and go clean it up!” Those who spend slightly more time delving into the issue usually come to realize that the oceans are very big, and that it would probably be much easier to find ways to prevent plastic from entering the ocean in the first place, versus cleaning it up at sea. However, we think it is equally essential to clean up the legacy pollution that has accumulated in the oceans. (If you haven’t read the post yet, I recommend doing so before reading ahead.) In my last blog I explained why we focus on intercepting plastic in rivers we think it is the fastest and most cost-effective way to stop the inflow of plastic to the oceans. To achieve this, our strategy is two-pronged: remove it from rivers and waterways that flow into the ocean, and extract legacy debris from the ocean. At The Ocean Cleanup, our mission is to rid the world’s oceans of plastic.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |