Science Stats Environment

The great Pacific garbage patch may be 16 times as massive as we thought

New estimates put greater weight on larger plastics

fishing net washed ashore

THINGAMABOBS  Fishing nets and ropes make up 47 percent of the plastic mass in the Pacific Ocean’s notorious garbage patch, a new study suggests.

NOAA Coral Reef Ecosystem Program/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

By Helen Thompson

- More than 2 years ago

We’re going to need a bigger trash can.