Australia / Oceania

This Tiny Remote Island Is Getting Buried Under Plastic Trash

Researchers estimate Henderson Island's beaches are littered with more than 37 million pieces of plastic trash.

This Tiny Remote Island Is Getting Buried Under Plastic Trash
University of Tasmania / Dr. Jennifer Lavers
SMS

This is Henderson Island, a tiny, remote island in the South Pacific. It's thousands of miles away from the nearest major populated area.

And yet, researchers estimate its beaches are littered with more than 37 million pieces of plastic trash.

According to a new study from the University of Tasmania, the island is covered in the highest density of plastic debris ever recorded.

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And ocean currents dump thousands of new pieces of trash from around the world on its shores every day.

But that's just a fraction of the 5 trillion bits of plastic garbage scientists estimate are floating around on the high seas.

The study's lead author said, "What's happened on Henderson Island shows there's no escaping plastic pollution even in the most distant parts of our oceans."

The plastic pollution problem is projected to get even worse over time. By 2050, researchers predict the amount of plastic in the oceans will outweigh fish pound for pound.