The Plastics In Our Seas: What We Throw Away

KUTA, BALI, INDONESIA - JANUARY 23: A cigarette lighter, toothpaste packets and plastic chocolate packet which were found washed ashore on Kuta Beach on January 23, 2021 in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. About eight million metric tons of plastics are thrown into the ocean every year, according to studies published in scientific journals - by 2050, it is estimated that the weight of plastics in the oceans will exceed the weight of all marine life, and microplastics are already being ingested by fish and starting to appear in the human food chain. Huge concentrations of plastic are carried by currents to form massive collections of waste, such as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" between California and Hawaii. In Bali, known for its beaches and sunsets, the northwest monsoon brings vast amounts of this plastic to world-famous beaches. The kinds of trash that wash up cover almost all consumer products, from toothpaste tubes to flip flops and disposable packaging. (Photo by Agung Parameswara/Getty Images)