Do you know where the world’s largest trash dump is located? You might be a little shocked to find out that it’s actually in the Pacific Ocean! That’s right – our trash is being dumped right into the ocean and has accumulated to twice the size of Texas. There are two “garbage patches”. One is off the coast of Japan and the other is between California and Hawaii. The air currents in these two dumps make the water flow in a circular pattern, catching all sorts of trash, most of which is plastic. Since the pressure is too strong and flows in circles, most of the trash gets trapped in the currents. However, sometimes the currents shift, causing masses of the huge dump to actually wash up on the shores of some Hawaiian islands. Not only is it unpleasant to humans, but this ocean pollution is also killing marine animals that ingest or get tangled in the trash. If we don’t do something soon, our entire Pacific Ocean is going to become a dump. If we all stepped up and created a cleanup of the Pacific Garbage Patch, we could make a difference in the lives of its marine life. The recycling of the plastic that is out there might be enough to pay for the cleanup.

What do you think should be done to eliminate the Pacific Garbage Patch?