Where Does Marine Debris Come From?
When it rains, trash on sidewalks and streets gather in a gutter and is swept into storm drains. Most storm drain systems do not have filters, and discharges the trash directly into the nearest creek or river, eventually flowing to the ocean. An area, now referred to as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, has increased its size in the last 10 years. Research here found that the ratio of plastic to plankton was 6:1 in the surface waters. In some areas the ratio was as high as 48:1.