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Generally, trash stays in the ocean. Very little of it that washes up on the beach is picked up by citizens or paid employees of park, or city beach departments. (They tend to pick up only the larger items and leave smaller plastics behind).

Because of the circular circulation patterns (Gyres) of the world's major oceans, trash tends to gather in the center and stay there. (see "garbage gyre" or "northern Pacific trash gyre").

Plastics do not sink. Their density is less than that of saltwater and may eventually photodegrade but as they break up into smaller pieces they are ingested by oceanic birds, fish, whales, and turtles and often kill them.

Since the invention of plastics, they have been floating in the ocean. In the mid 20th century, it was commonplace to put trash on floating barges and dump it in the ocean. Some of that trash is still floating today.

Some efforts have been made to clean up the water with special conveyer-type trash picking boat/barges and have been successful in the areas they work, but this is only in bay areas, and not the oceanic garbage gyres. This is a big job. There is an estimated 3.5 million tons of trash covering an area twice the size of Texas in the north pacific gyre alone. (see Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer).

Advice: Go to the beach. Pay the price to park. Enjoy the beach! Then say thanks to the ocean and pick up some trash on your way out.

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14y ago
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Q: Where does trash go in the ocean?
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