THe cause:
People are a major cause of trash in the ocean. Whether it is accidental or not, people are letting their trash reach these areas. A lot of debri gets picked up by the ocean from beaches where a lot of people leave trash behind after a day spent there. It can get burried in the sand only to be uncovered by a high tide later on and then get dragged into the ocean. Even when not near the ocean, people leave trash on the sidewalks or on streets, which most of the time make their way to storm drains, yet again making the way into the ocean. A majory problem that people have is littering. Lots of people throw their trash wherever it is convinient. That can be an issue for many reasons, but is extremely harmful when done into oceans, storm drains, or anywhere near those locations.
Construction and facilities on land also contribute to ocean trash. During transportation of these activities is where a lot of debri is lost. Some places lack proper care of their waste management, therefore trash items can easily end up in the water.
Sewer systems and stormwater systems are also a way trash carries into the sea. Items at disposal sites could be improperly placed, leading to unwanted items ending up in marine sewage. In addition, if people do not have access to sites where they can dispose of trash, it further leads to literring and improper disposal, making it easier for trash to end up in the ocean.
Trash is also commonly placed in the ocean by being thrown overboard from boats and vessels. Sometimes it is accidental, but a lot of the time is just the easiest form of disposal for people on th seas.
Lastly, natural disasters and weathers carry trash into oceans, such as hurricanes, flooding, and even just rain in general.
2 Magazine / June, 2014
http://ecomb.org/sponsored-community-cleanups/
By Jessica Davis