EARTH DAY: THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH

The Encycle team is passionate about sustainability and with half the team based in beautiful San Diego, California, we naturally feel passionate about protecting our oceans. This year’s #EarthDay theme happens to be Planet vs. Plastic so we decided that we wanted to share some of our own research with you, in hopes we can build awareness to the dire condition our oceans are in thanks to plastic waste.

WHAT IS THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an area in the Pacific Ocean where rubbish naturally gathers due to winds and ocean currents. It is estimated to cover a surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers. That an area twice the size of Texas, and for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere - the state of Queensland could fit inside the Great Pacific Garbage Patch approximately 15 times!

You’re probably imagining something resembling a trash island, however these patches are in fact almost entirely made up of tiny bits of plastic, called microplastics, so the patch actually looks more like a cloudy soup mixed with larger items such as shoes and fishing gear.

Did you know? 1 plastic bottle can break up into over 10,000 pieces of microplastic!

There are 8 million tonnes of rubbish discarded into our oceans every year. 80% of plastic found in the ocean is estimated to come from land-based sources, with the remaining 20% coming from boats and other marine sources.

SEA LIFE IS AT RISK!

Of course, this sea trash has dire effects on ocean life. Seals and other mammals have been known to get caught in discarded fishing nets and drown. Loggerhead turtles are choking on plastic bags they mistake for sea jellies. Albatrosses confused plastic pieces for fish eggs and feed them to their chicks, who unfortunately die.

Also disturbed is the marine food web. Algae and plankton* rely on sunlight coming through the water to grow. If communities of algae and plankton cannot grow and thrive, then there will be considerably less food for our ocean life, such as fish and turtles. In turn, if our fish and turtle population decline, then not only will there will be less food available for apex predators, but seafood will become much harder to source and considerably more expensive.

Unfortunately, due to its location, no countries are taking responsibility for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and therefore, no funding is available to clean it. According to Charles Moore, the man who discovered the vortex of trash in 1997, says that any country that tried to clean it would be bankrupt. If that doesn’t hammer home the magnitude of this mess, then I don’t know what will.

AS ARE WE

The damage of plastics doesn’t just stop at sea life. Microplastics have been found in human organs, blood and placenta. In fact, according to the WWF, 5 grams of plastic is being ingested by the average person per week, and researchers have found that microplastics can act as vessels to spread diseases through pathogens.

It’s still early days for medical and scientific communities in their research of microplastics and the human body, however it’s clear that the impacts are very concerning.

NOT ALL IS LOST

Thankfully our world is made up of some incredible beings, like content creators Mark Rober and Mr Beast, who have created a fundraising campaign called TeamSeas. The campaign’s goal is to raise USD$30mil to remove 30 million pounds of trash polluting coastal regions, rivers, and ultimately oceans. Funds are split equally between The Ocean Cleanup (founded by Boyan Slat) and Ocean Conservancy.

The team believe that capturing plastics in rivers is the fastest and most efficient way to rid the oceans of plastic and developed a high-tech solution, called the Interceptor. The Interceptor uses solar-powered mechanics, smart processing, and connectivity for easy performance tracking. It’s made up of a standalone floating barrier anchored around the mouth of a small river in a u-shape. This intercepts the trash and then buffers it until it’s removed from the water by the Interceptor Tender. The tender is essentially a barge that uses a conveyor belt to scoop up the trash from the barrier and offload it onto a dumpster onshore.

With 15 Interceptors in 7 countries, so far Ocean Cleanup has been able to remove over 8 million kgs. (that’s 17.7million lbs) of trash.

While our focus is on increasing energy efficiency and reducing operating costs and carbon footprints in regards to commercial HVAC management, we have all been moved by the horrific threats to our rivers, beaches and oceans and strive to build awareness and help do our part to reduce plastics on our planet.

Here are a few of the ways we plan on reducing plastics and helping our environment:

·????? Carry a reusable water bottle

·????? Bring your own coffee cup

·????? Don’t use disposable straws and cutlery

·????? Bring your own shopping bags

·????? Refill your beauty and kitchen products, rather than buy new each time

·????? Shop sustainable clothing, not fast fashion

·????? Pick up trash you find on the beaches and elsewhere

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We hope you’ll join us!

#EarthDay #EndPlastics #TeamSeas