The subtropical oceanic gyre of the North Pacific Ocean is now blanketed with about thousands of tonnes of plastic debris. The floating wastes are dispersed over millions of square kilometres. This particular accumulation zone is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). The GPGP is now a symbol of the impact of the widespread use of plastics, which are discarded in oceans worldwide.
New research undertaken by Wageningen University and the Ocean Cleanup project has revealed that most plastic...