Have you ever thought about what happens to all that marine debris marine debris? Unfortunately here we bring you the answer.
The British Isle Henderson or, better known as the most polluted island on planet Earth, is the clearest and saddest example of human actions.
It is a territory that is practically in the middle of nowhere, it is only inhabited by the fauna and flora that struggle day by day to survive and having Chile as its closest country, approximately 5,000 km away. A bit far away, isn’t it?
With a surface area of 37.3 km2, it holds up to 18 tons of garbage, most of which is buried in the sand, according to studies. So you wouldn’t be surprised if you see a crab wearing a plastic cap instead of a shell.
This landfill is made up mostly of disposable plastic objects disposable plasticsThe waste is found in about 3,700 different types of debris. Bottles, caps, debris and even toothbrushes abound on the island.
We can avoid all this waste by reusing cloth or paper bags, recycling glass bottles and using them as containers, and there are other alternatives to various everyday utensils, for example, bamboo brushes o straws made of the same material that have the property of being biodegradable.
How did it become the world’s dumping ground?
Quite simply, we ourselves are to blame for turning nature into a toxic environment for the few species that still prevail there. In addition, its geographic location is a major influence as well, since it is very close to the Pacific Ocean currents, causing the dragging of garbage from all over the world to the island.
Henderson Island belongs to a territory made up of several islands called Pitcairn.
No one is spared here
It was demonstrated that the garbage originally came from the American continent, especially South America, but studies concluded that ALL the world was guilty, as they found objects such as bottles from the European continent as well.
Measures must be taken to solve the garbage problem
A person in a developed country uses approximately 100 kg of plastic annually, imagine the exorbitant amount of waste that is produced annually worldwide.That is why countries are establishing laws regarding plastic waste, as there are no strict regulations in this regard.
The amount of smuggled plastic in containers is abysmal, with developed countries being the main exporters and needing to get rid of it, sending it to developing countries, either to sell it or simply as a dumping ground for garbage, with China and Africa being the most affected.
It is for this reason that the international community established the Basel Convention.
Basel Convention
which seeks to regulate and solve these serious faults, helping the environment to reduce the use of plastic.
Young activists raise their voices
The world is waking up to the fact that there is a serious pollution problem to deal with. More and more people are aware of the change we need to make. A great example is the young Swedish activist Greta Thunberg (ig: gretathunberg) who, at a young age, represents a great source of inspiration, helping to defend the Earth from climate change.
“Every great change in history has come from the people.”
Get moving and take action! Your planet and the future depends on you .
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