Swirling seas of plastic trash

Kamilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii, is no ordinary beach. While it has sand, most of the island is made up of cooled chunks of lava rock that formed when Mauna Loa, one of the island’s volcanoes, erupted in 1868.

There are no roads that lead to Kamilo (pronounced: ka-MEE-low). The only way to get there is to drive for two hours over piles of volcanic rock. I share a ride with some locals and a scientist, and we bounce wildly and try to keep our heads from bumping the ceiling of the truck. When we arrive, the beach is deserted. There are no sunbathers, no swimmers and no surfers, and the gusts of wind blowing off the ocean are so strong that it’s hard to keep our balance.

But the strangest thing about Kamilo is that it’s covered with plastic trash — things that we use every day. I find shoes, combs, laundry baskets, Styrofoam, toothbrushes and countless water bottles. There are even toys like LEGO blocks and a little green army man. Beneath the recognizable things are millions of tiny, colorful plastic pieces — the fragments of broken-down larger objects. They look like confetti.

Swirling seas of plastic trash | Science News for Kids