A rotating ‘garbage island’ spreads over 1.6 million sq km in the Pacific with 50 kilograms of plastic per square kilometre

Between the shores of Hawaii and California floats a staggering 1.6 million square kilometers of plastic debris. This island of waste includes not just nets and ropes but also countless microplastics that pose serious threats to marine wildlife. Animals often mistake plastics for food, while others become trapped in ghost fishing gear.