The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also called the Pacific trash vortex or North Pacific Garbage Patch, is a large area in the central North Pacific Ocean filled with floating debris. It is located between 135°W and 155°W, and between 35°N and 42°N. The trash and plastic in this area come from countries along the Pacific Rim, including parts of Asia, North America, and South America.
Although many people imagine the patch as large islands of floating trash, it is actually made up of tiny, scattered pieces of plastic and other debris. These pieces are often as small as a fingernail or even smaller, and they float in the water column. Because the trash is spread out and not very dense, it is hard to see from space or even from boats and divers in the area.
According to researchers from the Ocean Cleanup project, the patch covers about 1.6 million square kilometers (620,000 square miles) and contains between 45,000 and 129,000 metric tons (50,000 to 142,000 short tons) of plastic as of 2018. By 2024, the project had removed over one million pounds of trash from the area, which is about 0.5% of the total plastic collected there. While most of the trash consists of tiny plastic particles, 92% of the total weight of the patch is made up of larger items, such as plastic bottles, toothbrushes, lighters, and other objects. Some of the plastic has been in the ocean for more than 50 years.
Studies show that the patch is growing quickly. It is believed to have increased ten times every decade since 1945. The area has about six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton. A similar area of floating plastic debris exists in the Atlantic Ocean, known as the North Atlantic garbage patch.
History
Scientists predicted the garbage patch in a paper published in 1988 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The study was based on research by scientists in Alaska who measured plastic floating on the ocean's surface in the North Pacific Ocean. They found large amounts of ocean trash collecting in areas where ocean currents flow. Using their findings from the Sea of Japan, they predicted similar conditions in other parts of the Pacific where ocean currents create calm waters. They specifically pointed to the North Pacific Gyre.
In 1997, Charles J. Moore sailed through the North Pacific Gyre after a sailing race and saw a large area filled with floating trash. He told oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, who later called the area the "Eastern Garbage Patch" (EGP). This region is often shown in news stories as an example of serious ocean pollution.
In 2008, the Algalita Marine Research Foundation organized a sailing trip across the Pacific to draw attention to the plastic in the garbage patch.
In 2009, two research ships from Project Kaisei/Ocean Voyages Institute, the New Horizon and the Kaisei, traveled to study the garbage patch and test if large-scale cleanup and recycling could work. The Scripps Institute of Oceanography also studied the patch during its 2009 SEAPLEX expedition, partly funded by Ocean Voyages Institute/Project Kaisei. Scientists also examined how plastic affects fish that live in the middle part of the ocean, such as lanternfish.
In 2010, Ocean Voyages Institute spent 30 days in the gyre to continue research from earlier trips and test new cleanup tools.
In July and August 2012, Ocean Voyages Institute sailed from San Francisco to the northern edge of the North Pacific Gyre, ending in Richmond, British Columbia. They then returned to the gyre. This trip focused on studying the spread of debris from the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
Sources of the plastic
In 2015, a study found that plastic debris moves eastward from Asian countries, mainly from six nations: China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. This study, which used data from 2010, showed that China was responsible for about 30% of ocean plastic pollution. In 2017, Ocean Conservancy reported that China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam together release more plastic into the ocean than all other countries combined. Groups like the Coastal Conservancy, Earth Day, Ocean Cleanup, and World Cleanup Day have worked to reduce land-based debris and the buildup of marine waste.
A 2019 study estimated that 80% of ocean plastic comes from land, while the remaining 20% comes from boats and other marine sources. These percentages may differ in different regions. A 2018 study found that nearly half of the mass in the Great Pacific garbage patch consists of synthetic fishing nets, largely because of ocean currents and increased fishing in the Pacific Ocean.
A 2022 study reported that between 75% and 86% of plastic pollution comes from fishing and agriculture, with most emissions traced to Japan, China, South Korea, the U.S., and Taiwan. A 2020 study identified the U.S. as the third-largest contributor of plastic pollution in coastal areas. In 2018, China banned plastic imports, leading to countries with weak waste management systems, like Indonesia, becoming disposal sites for plastic waste from the U.S.
The study examined 6,093 pieces of debris larger than 5 cm in the North Pacific garbage patch. Of these, 99% of the rigid items (which made up 90% of the total weight, or 514 kg) were plastic. These items were sorted, counted, and weighed, and their sources were traced to five industrialized fishing nations, showing the significant role of the fishing industry in global plastic waste.
Most hard plastic waste includes unidentifiable fragments, fishing and aquaculture gear such as nets, fish boxes, oyster spacers, eel traps, and other plastic items used for food, drinks, and household items. These items make up a large portion of floating plastic waste.
Of the 201 plastic items analyzed, language writings were found. The most common languages were Chinese, Japanese, English, and Korean, in that order.
The Ocean Cleanup estimated that up to 86% of ocean plastics come from fishing activities.
Constitution
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch formed slowly because ocean currents collected pollution over time. It is located in a part of the North Pacific Ocean that is surrounded by the North Pacific Gyre, which is found in the horse latitudes. The gyre’s movement pulls waste from across the North Pacific, including from coastal areas near North America and Japan. As waste enters the currents, wind-driven surface currents move it toward the center, where it becomes trapped.
A 2014 study examined 1,571 locations in the world’s oceans and found that discarded fishing gear, such as buoys, lines, and nets, made up more than 60% of the mass of plastic marine debris. A 2011 EPA report stated that the main cause of marine debris is improper disposal of trash and products, including plastics, on land and at sea. Trash is created on land near places like marinas, ports, rivers, and storm drains. At sea, debris comes from fishing vessels, platforms, and cargo ships. The size of debris varies, from large abandoned fishing nets to tiny micro-pellets used in cosmetics and cleaners.
A computer model predicts that a piece of debris from the U.S. west coast would travel to Asia and return to the U.S. in six years. Debris from the east coast of Asia would reach the U.S. in less than a year. Although microplastics make up 94% of the estimated 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, they only account for 8% of the 79,000 metric tons of plastic in the ocean. Most of the remaining plastic comes from the fishing industry.
A 2017 study found that of the 9.1 billion metric tons of plastic produced since 1950, nearly 7 billion metric tons are no longer in use. Researchers estimate that 9% was recycled, 12% was burned, and the remaining 5.5 billion metric tons are in the oceans and on land.
A 2021 study found that researchers who studied plastic in the garbage patch identified more than 40 animal species on 90% of the debris they examined. In 2022, scientists discovered a thriving ecosystem of life at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which raised concerns that cleaning up the area might harm this new environment.
A 2023 study showed that the plastic in the garbage patch supports coastal species that live in the open ocean and reproduce there. These species, such as jellyfish and sponges, are usually found near the western Pacific coast. They now live alongside open-ocean species on the plastic. Some scientists worry that this mix of coastal and open-ocean species could create unusual communities where coastal animals might compete with or eat open-ocean species.
Size estimates
The size of the patch is not fixed, and the exact spread of debris is unclear because large items are rare. Most debris consists of tiny plastic pieces floating near or just below the ocean’s surface, making them hard to see from planes or satellites. Scientists estimate the patch’s size by collecting samples. The patch is thought to cover about 1,600,000 square kilometers (620,000 square miles), which is roughly twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France. However, these estimates are uncertain because sampling methods are complex and comparisons to other areas are needed. The patch’s size is linked to a higher-than-usual concentration of floating debris, but there is no clear way to define where "normal" pollution ends and "elevated" pollution begins.
Net-based surveys are more reliable than direct observations but have limits. Nets used for sampling are small (1–2 meters wide), and ships must slow down to deploy them, which takes time. The type of net used determines what kind of debris is collected, so similar nets are needed for accurate comparisons. Floating debris is often collected with special nets with 0.33 mm mesh. Because debris is clumped in certain areas, many net samples are needed to understand average litter levels. Studies show that plastic debris in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre increased significantly between the 1980s and 1999, with plastic abundance reaching 335,000 items per square kilometer and 5.1 kilograms per square kilometer. Similar increases have been reported near Japan. However, interpreting these results is difficult due to uneven distribution of debris and the need to compare samples from similar ocean areas.
In August 2009, a survey by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Project Kaisei found plastic debris in 100 consecutive samples taken over 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) through the patch. While large pieces were present, the patch is mostly made of smaller items that become more concentrated toward the center of the gyre. These tiny, confetti-like pieces near the surface suggest the affected area may be smaller than estimated. Data from 2009 on Pacific albatross populations showed evidence of two separate debris zones.
In March 2018, The Ocean Cleanup shared findings from two expeditions: one in 2015 with 30 vessels and 652 nets, and another in 2016 using a C-130 Hercules aircraft with LiDAR sensors. The 2015 mission collected 1.2 million plastic pieces, categorized by size. The 2016 survey found the patch covers 1.6 million square kilometers with 10–100 kilograms of plastic per square kilometer. The patch is estimated to contain 80,000 metric tons of plastic, including 1.8 trillion pieces, with 92% of the mass in items larger than 0.5 centimeters.
The term "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is often used in media but does not accurately describe the situation. Many people believe the area is a large, visible island of trash, but this is not true. The patch is not easily seen from space. A 2001 study found 334,721 plastic pieces per square kilometer in the neuston layer, with a mass of 5.1 kilograms per square kilometer—seven times the density of zooplankton in some areas. Deeper water samples showed fewer plastic particles, mostly fishing line. In 2012, researchers found microplastic levels in the gyre had increased 100 times over 40 years.
On April 11, 2013, artist Maria Cristina Finucci created The Garbage Patch State at UNESCO in Paris. In March 2018, New Scientist estimated the patch’s size as approximately 1.6 million square kilometers.
Environmental effects
In 2010, a meeting at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) discussed that although the patch was a danger to human living conditions, it could be managed. At a meeting at IEEE the next year, it was stated that the patch messes up the balance of the original marine ecosystem and gives microorganisms new conditions to live in, causing a new ecosystem to form.
Debris removal efforts
In 2009, Ocean Voyages Institute removed more than 5 short tons (about 4.5 metric tons) of plastic during the first Project Kaisei cleanup. They tested different cleanup devices during this effort. In 2019, Ocean Voyages Institute removed over 40 metric tons (about 44 short tons) of plastic from the garbage patch during a 25-day expedition. This was the largest cleanup recorded at that time. In 2020, the same organization removed 170 short tons (about 150 metric tons) of plastic from the ocean during two expeditions. The first trip lasted 45 days and removed 103 short tons (about 93 metric tons) of plastic. The second trip removed 67 short tons (about 61 metric tons) of plastic. In 2022, during two summer expeditions, Ocean Voyages Institute removed 148 short tons (about 134 metric tons) of plastic, including ghostnets, consumer items, and other plastic debris.
On September 9, 2018, the first collection system was placed in the gyre to begin collecting plastic. This trial run for The Ocean Cleanup Project started by towing its "Ocean Cleanup System 001" from San Francisco to a test site 240 nautical miles (about 440 kilometers) away. The trial of "System 001" lasted four months and helped the research team improve the design of "System 001/B."
In 2021, The Ocean Cleanup removed 63,182 pounds (about 28,659 kilograms or 28.66 metric tons) of plastic using "System 002." This mission began in July 2021 and ended in October 2021. In July 2022, The Ocean Cleanup announced it had removed the first 100,000 kilograms (about 220,000 pounds or 100 metric tons) of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch using "System 002." They also announced a switch to "System 03," which is said to be 10 times more effective than "System 002." In April 2024, they reached a milestone of removing 10 million kilograms of trash. By November 2024, they had removed 20 million kilograms of trash.
In 2012, the Algalita/5 Gyres Asia Pacific Expedition started in the Marshall Islands on May 1. The team studied the garbage patch and collected samples for the 5 Gyres Institute, Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and other organizations, including NOAA, Scripps, IPRC, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Also in 2012, the Sea Education Association conducted research trips in the gyre. These trips included 118 tows and counted nearly 70,000 pieces of plastic.