Garbage patch

The Pacific Garbage Patch

Our class had a discussion about what happens when plastic bags and rubbish get blown into the sea.

There are tidal currents that carry rubbish from land to a giant garbage patch in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, often call the Pacific Gyre. "It's unbelievable" thought many of our class. Some of us felt sad about it. Especially when you consider the following:

Plastic bags in the ocean are often mistaken for jelly fish by sea life and they think that it is food and eat it. When they eat it, it blocks their guts so they can't eat and they die. After that the animal's body decays and the plastic bag floats on to find another victim!!! Every time you throw a plastic bag it kills more than 30 animals. A plastic bag takes 50-100 years to break down.

Also, in the Pacific Garbage Patch there is more tiny particles of plastic then there are plankton. Scientists are worried it will break down to the molecular and destroy our whole ocean system.

We discussed what we can do in our lives to slow down the toll of plastic and rubbish, you should try these too:

* Recycle as much as possible

* Reuse plastic bags as much as possible

* Use eco bags at food shops rather than getting more plastic bags

* Don't litter

* Don't put anything recyclable in general rubbish bins

* Pick up rubbish if you see it blowing around because it could end up in the sea