The world's plastic garbage problem, explained

If you don't believe the world has a garbage problem, scientists have identified a massive slurry of trash held together by the currents in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

1. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch spans twice the area of Texas

Research published in March 2018 edition of Scientific Reports shows the patch to be 617,762 sq mi in size, filled with all sorts of trash. An estimated 80,000 tons is plastic, half of which comes from discarded fishing nets alone. Even worse, from Earther blog:

"... what ends up in the patch doesn’t stay there. The [researchers] also note that sea turtles living in the region have a diet that consists of up to 74% plastic (no, that’s not missing a decimal). Other animals also consume plastic as it breaks down into smaller pieces. Those animals in turn get eaten by bigger animals. And because plastic is forever, it eventually works it way up the food chain and can even end up on our plates."

Most plastic ends up in the seas and landfills

2. China no longer wants the world's plastic

In 2017 China, which has imported 106 million tons of old bags, bottles, wrappers, and containers worth US$58bn since 1992, announced it would ban the import of non-industrial plastic waste.  Recent research by the University of Georgia calculates that by 2030, 111 million tons of used plastic will need to be displaced elsewhere -- as in, we've no f**in clue what to do with them.
Since plastic began its mass production in the 1950s, annual output has skyrocketed to 322 million tons in 2015.  The supply is only expected to grow, but disposal and recycling capabilities have lagged behind.  Currently the world only recycles about 10% of its produced plastic (and incinerates another 10%), so it's clear there needs to be a better solution.

3. Don't think about dumping trash in volcanoes/outer space/into the sun(???)

That's just a terrible idea with bad news and unknowns all around, so this is a non-starter.

4. Caterpillars may just provide the answer

Recent paper published in Current Biology showcases a species of moth capable of chewing up polyethylene, a particularly non-biodegradable and commonly-used type of plastic, at a rate much faster than previously expected.  Nevertheless, as the Economist warns, there remains a lot of research to be done:

"...whether releasing wax moths on the world’s surplus plastic really is sensible is not yet clear. For one thing, it has not been established whether the caterpillars gain nutritional value from the plastics they eat, as well as being able to digest them. If they do not, their lives as garbage-disposal operatives are likely to be short—and, even if they do, they will need other nutrients to thrive and grow. Another question is the composition of their faeces. If these turn out to be toxic, then there will be little point in pursuing the matter. Regardless of this, though, the discovery that wax-moth larvae can eat plastic is intriguing. Even if the moths themselves are not the answer to the problem of plastic waste, some other animal out there might be."

5. We need to push for change

Countries would need to take more responsibility dealing with their trash, or perhaps impose new levies and offer incentives to improve their waste management infrastructure.  Unfortunately, there is no leadership for multilateral cooperation in this issue, as the US and Europe are bending over backwards on other fronts, and climate change is taking a back seat for god knows how long.  China, as described above, has given up, so perhaps Russia can take charge?

We the people can do our part.  Use refillable water bottles.  Skip the single-use straws, like what Starbucks is doing.  Opt for the paper bags or bring your own bags at the grocery store.  These efforts are only touching at the margins -- kind of like saving $1.50 on coffee when you are paying $8,000/month for rent -- but never say that the increased awareness isn't worthwhile.  We need to push for change, even if we start with something so meaningless in the grand scheme.