November 6, 2009

The largest landfill on earth is located in the Pacific Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch floats from Hawaii to Japan and is roughly the size of the United States (x2).

According to American oceanographer Charles Moore, who first stumbled upon the Patch in 1997, the oceanic gyre may contain as much as 100 million tons of trash. It's so big that it's hard to measure.

Plastic Plankton

Although the soup of plastic refuse never biodegrades, it gradually disintegrates into smaller and smaller particles. Edible marine life ingests it and we serve it for dinner.

How everyday household items like toothbrushes and plastic bottles end up in the Patch has everything to do with our habits and choices. Despite the fact that plastic floats around in the ocean and reigns as Garbage King, we utilize it at an increasingly high level.

But forget about the ocean and the Patch. They're way out there. A look around the kitchen says it all. Daily plastic packaging, colorful wrappers, cartons and containers rule. There's a way to cut down and there's also a way to make choices that will have less of an impact on our kitchens.

Tracking Trash

MIT established project Trash Track in February 2009. By tagging our garbage researchers can find out where it ends up after we toss it.

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While research studies suggest that plastic toxins such as BPA can leach into bottled water due to regular wear and tear, detergents and heat, these issues compound the fact that the bottles are for one use only, at best. If bottled water is your preferred water source, you have to buy a lot of plastic bottles. If you're on top of your kitchen's maintenance and recycling program, these plastics can be reused. But if you're swimming in daily chores, these plastics end up in a landfill.

Bottled water drinkers should also be aware that the bottled water industry is not required to disclose the results of contaminant testing. The Food Safety Enhancement Act, which was proposed in June '09, would compel water bottling companies to reveal their findings and disclose the contents of the water they sell. But that legislation has yet to be passed. So if you believe in the purity and high quality of the pretty images of spring water flowing down a plastic water bottle label, consume and recycle. Otherwise, consider filtered tap and reusable water bottles instead.

What's in Bottled Water?

Some argue that bottled water is little better than tap. The Environmental Working Group conducted a study in October 2008 to find out exactly what byproducts, if any, make their way into brand name water bottles. If you're drinking bottled water, find out what's in the report. sip it

Building the plastic mountain on land or shipping it out to sea starts with human habits that are hard to break. But one small change at a time can add up to big numbers and massive garbage reduction. NewsSip