PLASTIC FAQ

PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN

A gyre is a large-scale system of wind-driven surface currents in the ocean. The gyres referred to in the name of our organization are the five main subtropical gyres — located in the North and South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean — which are massive, circular current systems. Accumulation zones of plastic form in the five subtropical gyres as a result of the diminished winds and currents occurring at latitudes synonymous with continental deserts. Basically, plastic is trapped within these currents, taking at least 10 years to cycle back out — if it doesn’t first get eaten by marine life or sink to the bottom.
5 Gyres published the world’s first Global Estimate of Marine Plastic Pollution in 2014, determining there were 5.25 trillion particles, weighing 269,000 metric tons, on the ocean’s surface. We published an updated estimate in 2023, revealing there are now more than 170 trillion plastic particles, weighing 2 million tonnes, afloat in the world’s ocean.
The main sources of plastic debris found in the ocean come from land. Plastic flows from rivers to sea, and in the runoff from highly populated coastal cities. Microplastics shed from consumer goods, like car tires and textiles, and are small enough to escape wastewater treatment plants. Ocean-based plastic pollution originates primarily from the fishing industry. We are all connected by a watershed, so even landlocked cities have an impact on the ocean.
After journeying to the North Pacific Gyre five times, we can confirm that the “plastic island” doesn’t actually exist. This myth perpetuates the plastic pollution problem, positioning it as something that we can clean up and “away,” while continuing to use plastic without consequence. While there are concentrations of plastic in the gyres, the material is constantly in the process of breaking down into smaller and smaller pieces, which permeate all waters. In the ocean, plastic is less like an island, and more like smog.
In the ocean, ultraviolet light makes plastic brittle and wave action crushes it, breaking it down into microplastics (pieces smaller than a grain of rice). If not consumed by marine life, these fragments permeate the water column and slowly settle to the sea floor. After completing the first Global Estimate of Marine Plastic Pollution, we began to refer to these particles as “plastic smog.” The Smog of the Sea documentary about our 2014 expedition, produced by Jack Johnson, explores this concept.
While we do partner with other nonprofits, businesses, and Ambassadors on cleanups occasionally, it is not our focus. Cleanups are an important piece of the puzzle and a great way to show the magnitude of the plastic pollution problem, but we focus on upstream solutions that address issue at the source. Our TrashBlitz program offers a way to take cleanups a step further by contributing to data collection that is used to support policy measures and solutions.

IMPACT OF PLASTIC POLLUTION

More than 1,200 marine species, including fish, turtles, dolphins, sharks, and whales, are impacted by plastic through ingestion or entanglement—both of which can sicken or even kill them. Filter feeders, like whales, ingest plastic floating at sea, while turtles often mistake floating bags for jellyfish. Plastic pollution doesn’t just impact marine species; we found 2,000 plastic bags inside the stomach of a camel in Dubai, far from the ocean. It’s been documented inside Asian elephants, black bears in Colorado, and migratory seabirds.
Plastic pollution is a human health issue. In the ocean, plastic absorbs toxic chemicals like PCBs and DDTs — chemicals linked to endocrine disruption and even cancer. A tiny piece of microplastic can be one million times more toxic than the ocean water around it, and as it degrades, these plastic pieces also release toxic chemicals. These toxic plastics can work their way up the food chain and onto our plates (we caught a fish in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre and found 16 pieces of plastic in its belly!). More and more research continues to emerge about micro- and nanoplastics found inside our bodies, including lungs, blood, heart, brain, and placentas.
A study published in 2015 determined that 8 million metric tons entered our oceans in 2010, enough to cover every foot of coastline in the world. Most of the plastic came from heavily populated countries with poor waste management systems, such as China, Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia. However, the report failed to acknowledge that many developed nations, including the United States, Canada, and EU, export plastic waste to developing countries. China imported nearly half of America’s plastic waste in 2011, before enacting the “National Sword” policy that banned the import of most plastics. Afterward, the U.S. rerouted most shipments to other countries in the Global South, like Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Plastic exports from the U.S. to Indonesia increased by 219%. In many of these countries, people, including children, become “waste pickers” sorting through rivers of plastic trash to find pieces to sell while polluted waterways transport the remainder straight out to sea. Plastic pollution is a social justice issue.
When we think about climate change, we typically focus on factories, coal, and cars, but 99% of plastic comes from fossil fuels. Plastic is intrinsically connected to climate change, and it pollutes at every stage of its life cycle, from materials extraction to product production to waste disposal. As we diversify our sources for fuel and energy, the fossil fuel industry is betting on plastics to continue expanding its petrochemicals business; plastic production is projected to triple by 2050. Typically built in or near low-income communities of color, plastic production facilities pose both environmental and social justice problems.
Statistics on how long plastic takes to break down have never been verified. Degredation rates for plastics are environmentally dependent: A plastic bag stuck in a tree will shred in a month or two, but buried in mud it will last far longer. The bottom line? Plastic never breaks down, but depending on environmental conditions, it will break up at different rates into microplastics.

SOLUTIONS TO PLASTIC POLLUTION

While it’s not exactly a “myth”, plastic recycling has not proven itself to work. Currently, more than 380 million tons of new plastic is produced annually, and less than 6% is recycled. The chasing arrows symbol on an item doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s recyclable. These plastic resin codes simply identify the type of plastic, and only plastics #1 (PET/PETE) and #2 (HDPE) are widely reccyled in most curbside recycling programs. Recycling is a business, and in order for it to work, the recycled material has to have value. Currently, it’s actually cheaper to use virgin plastics than it is to use recycled plastic. A few reasons for this are the poor quality of the plastic material introduced into the marketplace, lack of material consistency with viable end markets, lack of required post consumer resin in new products, and subsidies for fossil fuel extraction. All of these factors make virgin plastic production more economically feasible than plastics recycling. Learn more about the challenges of recycling plastic.
Some studies have indicated that plastics may be degraded by microbes. While this is interesting research, it’s important to note that these studies were done in labs where conditions don’t replicate real life. The scale of the plastic pollution problem is so huge that it’s unlikely plastic-eating microbes will be a real solution. Instead, we should focus on the root of the issue and “turning off the tap” to unnecessary plastic production.
For decades, the plastics and chemical industries have proposed “chemical recycling” as a solution to the problem of plastic pollution. This is simply another word for incineration, or burning plastic waste. We share the stance of organizations like the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and Greenpeace Southeast Asia in opposing these “waste to energy technologies” because they release large amounts of carbon dioxide that contribute to global warming, along with toxic chemicals that pollute the environment. They also undermine waste reduction and recycling programs, and encourage the continued production of cheap plastic goods.
While promising research continues to emerge around some alternative materials to single-use plastic, labels like “compostable” and “biodegradable” are misleading and lack transparency about what happens if products and packaging end up in the environment. Some bioplastics, like PLA, persist in the environment like conventional plastics and require an industrial composting facility to break down. Reuse is always the best option, but we recognize that it’s not possible for every case of plastic use (for example, thin film to wrap meats and cheeses). There are opportunities for upstream innovations across all sectors, and in some applications, biomaterials can offer an alternative to fossil fuel-based plastics. Our Better Alternatives 3.0 report offers greater transparency around these novel materials, their real-world behavior in the environment, and considerations that should be made before the widespread adoption of bioplastics in all sectors of society.
When the issue of air pollution dominated the environmental movement in the 1970s, the public and policymakers could look skyward and recognize that preventative measures were the only viable long-term solution. The issue of plastic debris drifting in the middle of the ocean lacks the benefit of visibility to quickly educate the public, leaving persistent misconceptions to drive problem-solving efforts. Remember, the problem isn’t a floating island that can be captured and taken “away.” Cities and manufacturing facilities act like horizontal smoke stacks, pumping plastic into the ocean.
Solutions are found when organizations like 5 Gyres work with communities, policymakers, and corporations to stop emissions at the source. For example, 5 Gyres’ discovery and research on microbeads in the Great Lakes started in a movement that culminated in the Microbead Free Waters Act of 2015. With sound research, improved waste management, strong policies, and better product design, the problem of plastic debris drifting in the furthest reaches of the planet can be controlled.
While 5 Gyres continues to work behind-the-scenes with scientists, policymakers, and brands to address the issue at the source, there are things that you can do on the individual level to support a plastic pollution-free future.
- Opt for reusables – avoid single-use plastic whenever possible, and always have reusables handy, like a water bottle, tote bag, coffee cup, and utensils.
- Do a TrashBlitz – contribute to community science that drives change by doing a cleanup and submitting your data through our TrashBlitz app.
- Become a 5 Gyres Ambassador – join our global community of changemakers who are using their unique experiences and skillset to support the movement.