Scientists Clean Up The Oceans' Plastic Cemeteries
Kilometres of containment booms collect ocean plastic waste, while engineers on the shore convert the waste into new products.
Wi th i ts spectacular mountain setting, the wide sandy beach of Kvalvika in Northern Norway attracts many tourists every year, but the view is scarred by empty bottles and heaps of plastic.
Ocean plastic is a growing problem throughout the world. American scientists estimate that about eight million t of plastic end up in the oceans annually, corresponding to one truck load per minute. The plastic particularly derives from the shore, where bottles, bags, and other waste are left on the ground. Wind and weather carry the waste into streams and rivers, which take the plastic all the way to the oceans. If nothing is done, the quantity will grow to two truck loads in 2030 and four truck loads per minute in 2050.
The problem will not go away by itself, as it takes hundreds of years for the plastic to be broken down. So, some scientists are developing new methods for ridding the oceans of plastic contamination, while others aim to prevent it from finding its way to the oceans. Both efforts are crucial for beaches