8,3 Billions of tons have been produced since then. 600 Million tons of those have been recycled, 800 Million Tons have been burnt. And the rest of it? The rest of it has somehow found it´s way into the environment. But where does the plastic go? And why is this a problem? 

Plastic is lightweight and therefore easily travels with wind, water, waves and currents. Once released into the environment, it finds its way to the remotest places. Even in Antarctica and the deep sea plastic has been discovered by scientists. But there are some places, plastic feels really convenient. 

Where the different currents of the oceans meet each other, they are forming huge gyres, building a strong undertow like a drain. All the plastic floating inside those currents is being sucked together in one place. The result is called "garbage patches" - giant islands of trash, consisting of the debris of consumer goods, plastic bottles, as well as old buoys and other fishing gear.

5 giant garbage patches are known by now.

One is located in the Indian Ocean, two in the Atlantic Ocean and two in the Pacific Ocean. The biggest of all of them is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is floating in the North Pacific between Hawaii and California and has an estimated size of 1,6 million square kilometers. This is about three times the size of France. 

For even more detailed information on the garbage patches you can visit the websites of the MARINE DEBRIS PROGRAM and THE OCEAN CLEANUP.

All this garbage is the result of our consumer behaviour: Worn out "luxury" goods, clothes made of synthetic fibre, packaging from big industries and the leftovers of fishing enterprises. Adding a general lack of efficient waste management all around the globe, all this makes an estimated amount of 1.15 to 2.41 million tonnes of plastic, entering the oceans every year. Most big cities are close to the sea or big rivers. Therefore it is easy for the waste to enter the oceans. 

As plastic is usually less dense than the water surrounding it, it doesn't sink and stays on the surface. Wind and waves carry it wherever they go. In January 1992 a cargo ship sank in the North Pacific. It lost several of its containers of which one opened and released 29.000 yellow bath ducks into the ocean. What was actually an accident turned out into a compulsory research project because it was now possible to observe the way the ducks would take. And they really enjoyed their freedom. From the North Pacific they crossed the Bering Strait, drifted along the north of Greenland, passed Scotland, visitted the U. S. and then travelled back to England and Ireland. 

All this plastic waste does severe damage to the ecosystems in which it accumulates. If you want to know how great a damage plastic can do to our environment - and finally ourselves - read our next article: 

Read our next article: 

Plastic harms!