Effects and Responses to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

This lengthy Economist clip looks at the extent to which plastic waste, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as it is called, poses a threat to the environment, and, as a consequence, the developmental prospects for some of the world's smallest island states. This clip looks at how they are suffering, and their different responses to it.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a large area of the Pacific Ocean where a huge amount of plastic waste has accumulated. It's often referred to as a "garbage patch" because it's not a physical island of trash - rather, it's a large area where plastic has become concentrated due to ocean currents and other factors. This area is estimated to be about the size of Texas, and it's made up of tiny pieces of plastic called microplastics, as well as larger pieces of trash like plastic bottles and bags.