Eye-Opening Infographic Reveals the Extent of Plastic Pollution in the Ocean

By Amanda Froelich Truth Theory

When you visit your local coffee shop in the morning and leave with a tall, iced latte, do you consider how the cup you’re using affects the environment, your own health, and even future generations? If so, you probably wouldn’t order the drink in the first place. Or, at the very least, you’d bring your own cup to reduce waste. The reason we say this is because plastic pollution is devastating the environment.

As the infographic (below) reveals, plastic pollution first became a known issue in 1997, when Charles Moore reported the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Though there are now several garbage patches in the oceans, the GPGP is still the largest. In fact, it’s estimated to be 2x the size of Texas!

Less than a decade after Moore made his discovery, plastics were being found on the floor of seabeds. And five years ago, microplastics became universally widespread marine pollutants. Today, plastic pollution abounds. And, it’s only continuing to increase.

One of the reasons why is that the majority of consumers on our planet do not understand the consequences of relying on plastic. Sure, it might be convenient to use plastic bags at the supermarket or toss a styrofoam container in the trash, but the simple decisions will affect wildlife and humans for generations to come. Furthermore, pollution is exacerbating climate change, which may one day make our planet uninhabitable.

To put the issue of plastic pollution into perspective, ReuseThisBag created the following infographic. The resource educates on everything from the history of plastic pollution to the way it affects marine life to the ways everyone can reduce their reliance on non-biodegradable packaging. 

Source and infographic found here: ReuseThisBag

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Source: TreeHugger,  ReuseThisBag