The author is a junior at Laurel School in Ohio.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) has been accumulating since the 1970s and has only worsened since then. The GPGP covers an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers; in other words, approximately twice the size of Texas.

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? 

Located halfway between Hawaii and California in the Pacific Ocean, “the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris,” 94% of which is comprised of microplastics, according to National Geographic. The Ocean Cleanup continues that, in terms of mass, “92% of the debris found in the patch consists of objects larger than 0.5 cm,” categorizing the plastic types as mesoplastics, macroplastics, and megaplastics. The accumulation is bountiful; 1.15 to 2.41 million metric tonnes of plastic are estimated to enter the ocean each year through watersheds that feed into the Pacific. The Ocean Cleanup found that “more than half of this plastic is less dense than water, meaning that it will not sink once it encounters the sea,” leaving the mound of garbage sitting on the ocean surface.

What are the effects on marine life?

On account of the size and color of these plastics, it’s easy for marine animals to mistake them for food, causing regurgitation, malnutrition, and damage to their overall health. The Ocean Cleanup reports that 92% of marine debris that animals come across is plastic, and since 84% of it “was found to have at least one Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic (PBT) chemical, animals consuming this debris are […] ingesting the chemicals attached to the plastic.” Floating at the top of the GPGP is 180 times more plastic than marine life, making it incredibly easy for animals to consume the plastic and, in turn, the toxic chemicals that it contains. For these animals, manducating the inedible leaves no room in their stomachs to ingest real food, leading to starvation.

What are the effects on humans?

While some people think the issue of the GPGP doesn’t affect them, they are wrong. Through the process of bioaccumulation, animals ingest the plastic with persistent bio-accumulative (gradual buildup of substances) toxic chemicals and make their way up the food web until they reach humans, turning the feeder into the prey.

While the severity depends on individual factors, the National Cancer Institute writes that the general consequences humans face include: neurological issues involving cognitive impairments that affect “a person’s ability to think, learn, remember, use judgment, and make decisions.” Moving to the stomach and intestines that make up the digestive system, gastrointestinal problems triggered by the ingestion of bio-accumulative toxins can cause nausea and vomiting.

More concerning is the chronic health threat that can be incurred over time. It’s important to preface that these aren’t one-time effects; a person would have to be exposed to bioaccumulated toxins for years or even decades prior to experiencing these consequences. The long-term effects include cancer due to the many bioaccumulative substances that are known carcinogens; immune system suppression with certain toxins weakening the immune system; and endocrine disruption as some bioaccumulative chemicals obstruct hormones, “leading to reproductive problems, metabolic disorders, and other hormonal imbalances,” according to the Pollution Sustainability Directory.

The GPGP is a colossal concern for marine life, and if caring for their welfare isn’t enough, care for yourself, family, and friends, because their health is at risk as well.

Is it possible to reduce the GPGP?

While we may never be able to eradicate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, there are solutions to minimize it. The first step is prevention; garbage is flowing into the GPGP faster than it’s being removed. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides a helpful analogy: “If you think about an overflowing sink, the first step before cleaning up the water is to turn off the tap.” It’s imperative that the influx stops before we try to eject the existing waste.

To begin, you can make sure you’re participating in proper waste management by reducing, reusing, and recycling the appropriate items instead of immediately throwing them away, thus allowing wind, rivers, and storm drains to carry them to the ocean. Other ways to contribute include participating in cleanups, supporting eco-friendly policies and organizations, switching from printed material to digital formats, and reducing your intake of single-use plastics.

NOAA finalizes, “If we want to ‘turn off the tap,’ everyone, including the government, businesses, and people like you, will have to make some meaningful changes. We are the problem, and so we must also be the solution.”

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: A Plastic Problem © 2026 by Youth Environmental Press Team is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/