This Island is Uninhibited, Yet Has The Highest Plastic Pollution Density

A recent article by National Geographic discussed how plastic waste ends up in our oceans. The article was a part of the Planet or Plastic campaign, in an effort to bring awareness to the issue. The article first discussed Henderson Island, an island about the size of Manhattan that contains over 19 tons of garbage. Henderson Island is located in the south pacific, is uninhibited, and has the highest density of plastic pollution in the world. Trash ends up at Henderson Island due to plastic being discarded or mismanaged, and ending up in the ocean. It ends up at Henderson Island due to a current, but not all the plastic waste from the ocean ends up on shore. 

The many pieces of trash left floating in the ocean are affecting wildlife in many ways, killing marine life, and being ingested by smaller marine life, such as phytoplankton, which then effects the food chain on a larger level. Marine life is getting caught in old fishing nets, plastic rings, and garbage. We can improve this by reducing our plastic consumption and properly recycling.