On the Cocos Islands, Australia, scientists found 977,000 pairs of shoes and 373,000 toothbrushes and many disposable plastic items such as...
On the Cocos Islands, Australia, scientists found 977,000 pairs of shoes and 373,000 toothbrushes and many disposable plastic items such as plastic bags and straws.
Total estimated waste includes about 414 million plastic pieces, weighs 238 tons. Meanwhile, Australia's Cocos Islands have a population of only 600 people. Scientists estimate it will take up to 4,000 years for island residents to generate the same amount of garbage, according to the Guardian.
The study, published in Nature, concludes that the findings point to an exponential increase in plastic waste that pollutes the ocean and "stresses concerns about production and use." use of disposable products ".
Jennifer Lavers, the lead author of the study from the University of Tasmania's Antarctic and Oceanographic Research, said sparsely populated islands are the clearest evidence of floating waste in the ocean. .
Garbage is flooding the coast of the Cocos Islands. Photo: Jennifer Lavers.
"Islands like Cocos are warning that people need urgent action. The pollution of plastic waste is emerging throughout the oceans, and remote islands are the ideal place to have an objective look. about the amount of plastic waste spreading globally, "said Ms. Lavers.
Research shows that the amount of garbage buried 10 cm below the beach is 26 times as much as the surface. This proves that previous surveys, which only mentioned garbage on the surface, may have "underestimated the level of pollution".
"Human demand for excessive plastics, along with ineffective waste management policies, leads to a myriad of negative impacts on the marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments," the study said.
"Cocos Islands are considered to be 'Australia's last unspoiled paradise', and the main source of income for local people from tourism. However, the consequences of waste to tourism and yards The sea is increasingly clear.
Plastic debris was buried as deep as 10 cm below the beach surface of the Cocos Islands. Photo: Cara Ratajczak.
Sadly, the situation of Cocos islands is not unique, but is scattered on the islands and coastal areas from the Arctic to Antarctica. This reflects an alarming threat to the environment, "warned the study.
Local people on the island are struggling to properly handle the huge amount of garbage.
Annett Finger from Victoria University, co-author of the study, said "an estimated 12.7 million tons of plastic has entered the ocean in 2010. Demand for disposable plastic products has increased by VND5,250 billion. plastic pieces poured into the ocean, according to estimates ".
"This means that ocean cleaning in current conditions is impossible. While clearing beaches contaminated with plastics is also very time consuming, expensive and needs to be done regularly to be able to effective, "said Finger researcher.
Sadly, the situation of Cocos islands is not unique, but is scattered on the islands and coastal areas from the Arctic to Antarctica. This reflects an alarming threat to the environment, "warned the study.
Local people on the island are struggling to properly handle the huge amount of garbage.
Annett Finger from Victoria University, co-author of the study, said "an estimated 12.7 million tons of plastic has entered the ocean in 2010. Demand for disposable plastic products has increased by VND5,250 billion. plastic pieces poured into the ocean, according to estimates ".
"This means that ocean cleaning in current conditions is impossible. While clearing beaches contaminated with plastics is also very time consuming, expensive and needs to be done regularly to be able to effective, "said Finger researcher.
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