The majority of trash in our ocean is made of plastic. An
estimated 60% to 80% of all marine debris is plastic. Plastic
does not biodegrade in sea water. It breaks down into infinitely
smaller pieces when exposed to sunlight (some particles are
smaller than a centimeter) and remains in the ocean for hundreds
of years. Some of the highest concentrations of plastic
pollution in the environment are found floating in an area of
the Pacific Ocean called the North Pacific Gyre, which is
commonly referred to as the “Pacific Garbage Patch.”. The
Pacific Garbage Patch is a plastic soup estimated to be twice
the size of Texas and it contains an estimated six times more
plastic than plankton by mass. In addition to spoiling the
beauty of our beaches and coast, plastic trash poses a
significant threat to marine life. Animals eat plastics,
mistaking them for food, and can actually starve to death
because their stomachs are so full of trash. Plastics can also
trap and entangle animals, wounding or killing them. One of the