So how _does_ the plastic get into the ocean? Clearly litter washes into rivers during storms and thus ends up in the ocean, but that seems like it must be a relatively insignificant source. Are there countries who are dumping barges full of trash out at sea? Which ones?
Victoria BC actually pipes all sewage right out to sea currently. So anything w/ micro plastic beads gets sent right into the ocean. This is also the case with the storm drainage system, so anything left on the road also right into the ocean.
There's one for you. People here actively protest against building a tertiary system for tax reasons and because they think they don't need it (there's actually a lot of people who even think that it's less environmentally friendly to have it dealt with on land). It's been an on going debate for over 30 years.
When you wash clothing that contains artificial fibres you dump a load into the water system, and depending where you live some will end up in the sea. All those acrylic fleeces and blankets shed thousands of particles each wash.
Some cosmetics contain plastic microbeads, and when you use those and wash them off you dump the microbeads into the water system.
There is a lot of macroscale dumping of garbage - and the plastic stuff just accumulates over a time, until sunlight and wave action break it down.
However, a lot of this plastic _starts_ as micro-plastic particles: microbeads from cosmetics and polyester fibres from clothes (water from washing machines is full of this) - these are in household waste water and often end up in the ocean.
Probably mostly from clothes and possibly from ropes, but I'm just guessing that plastic microbeads haven't been around that long. It seems as such a fantastically stupid idea.
material is engineered to last, not decompose. in the sea Or land.
yet people use it every day. and when those news show up they show shock at a perfectly predictable outcome. then proceed to continue to use said product.
plastic is designed to not decompose. people use plastic. people get shocked that it didn't decompose. people forget about shock one second later and pop another nespresso capsule in the nasty coffee machine.
Yes, and all those silly folks who get upset about reactor meltdowns, surprised that radiation is harmful over and over again, are hilarious. That's totally the dynamic on display here.
If someone dumped their trash on your lawn, you wouldn't be surprised or emotional in the least? Just sighing and saying "Tragedy of the commons..." doesn't seem like the best attitude for a social animal to have