Small island caught 414 million pieces of plastic garbage

On the beach of Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean, scientists found 414 million pieces of plastic waste, including nearly . 1 million pairs of shoes and 373,000 toothbrushes.

According to The Guardian , the discovery of oceanographers has been published in the journal Nature. They estimated that the huge mountain of rubbish in the Cocos Islands (Australia) weighs 238 tons, although the residents live here only 600 people.

Picture 1 of Small island caught 414 million pieces of plastic garbage
Only with a population of 600, Cocos small islands must catch hundreds of tons of garbage from all over the place - (Photo: THE GUARDIAN).

Picture 2 of Small island caught 414 million pieces of plastic garbage
Huge amount of garbage accumulates on a beach belonging to Australia's Cocos Islands - (Photo: THE GUARDIAN).

The study continues to touch on ocean pollution at a global rate, and both the production and consumption habits of disposable products.

"Pollution of plastic garbage is now all over the ocean, these remote islands are the ideal place to have an objective view of the floating global garbage" - Ms. Jennifer Lavers, team leader Research from the University of Tasmania (Australia), said.

Remarkably, scientists found 26 times more garbage buried at the sandy beach than the garbage seen with the eyes. This suggests that previous studies may underestimate the level of waste accumulation.

Plastic garbage on Cocos Islands is mainly disposable items, such as bottles, cutlery, bags, straws, toothbrushes . But the most significant is nearly 1 million pairs of shoes drifting to the place. this.

" Cocos (Keeling) Islands are considered the last unspoiled paradise of Australia, the main source of income for people is tourism. However, the impact of pollution is increasingly unavoidable . The sad thing is The situation of Cocos is not unique, the islands from the Arctic to Antarctica are all the same " - Lavers exclaimed.