We must do our bit to save the oceans from plastic pollution

Junior Gazette reporter Becky Fuller looks at the growing crisis of plastic pollution...

Plastic. One of the main materials used for the production and packaging of finished goods. The material we all thought would do the world a miracle; we were definitely wrong there!

Plastic is polluting our world every second of every day and only a handful of the world’s population is doing something to change that. Are you?

Every day, approximately eight million pieces of plastic pollution finds its way into the oceans, ready to injure or even kill marine wildlife.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a gyre- a slowly swirling whirlpool of ocean currents that collects plastic debris. It is estimated to be twice the size of France; keep in mind that France has an area of 643,801km² which would make this gyre pretty big.

The oceanographer who discovered it says that it will double in size over the next 10 years if

we don’t take action immediately. That means it would be about the same size as Algeria!

Plastic's undesired lifespan

The most durable plastics, such as nappies, plastic bottles and beer holders, can take up

to 450 years to decompose. This is over 5 times the average life expectancy of a British

person. Imagine all the pollution one piece of plastic can make in 450 years and