Among the debris, researchers found 373,000 toothbrushes and 977,000 shoes.
Plastic debris on a beach in the Cocos Keeling Islands. By Allyson Chiu Allyson Chiu Reporter with the Morning Mix team Email Bio Follow May 22 at 7:13 AM When Jennifer Lavers first arrived to the remote collection of tiny islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, she saw all the makings of a “quintessential tropical oasis.”
“Cocos is literally drowning in plastic, which is really sad considering how incredibly remote these islands are,” Lavers, the study’s lead author, said in an interview released by the university. “Most of the beaches are inundated with plastic.” Researchers estimate that about 524,000 pounds, or 238 metric tons, of plastic washed up on beaches that are exposed to ocean currents, wind and waves. Remote islands are “extremely valuable” to scientists because they can provide “a complete picture of how much is out there, where it’s coming from and the types of problematic items,” Lavers said.
According to a 2014 study, oceans contain an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic — an amount greater than the number of stars in the Milky Way. During the Ocean Conservancy’s 2017 International Coastal Cleanup, the nonprofit environmental group reported that volunteers picked up enough plastic bottles to fill five standard swimming pools and enough straws to reach the height of more than 10,000 palm trees.
Jennifer Lavers looks at trash on a beach in the Cocos Islands. Though the world may just be learning of the islands’ plight, the Cocos Malay people have long been aware that formerly untouched parts of their home have gradually become dumping grounds, Lavers said. Rather than attempt to hide the pollution, they’ve been doing what they can to draw attention to it.
The buildup of garbage on islands like Cocos, however, is preventable if people are willing to change aspects of their daily life, Lavers said.
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