It is estimated that almost ************ pieces of plastic are in the North Pacific Ocean. This is the largest quantity of plastic compared to other major marine areas. Much of this is made up of microplastics.
Microplastics can come from a variety of sources, such as car tires, city dust and synthetic textiles. These make their way into water sources around the world, causing harm to marine life.
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Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. (December 1, 2020). Estimated quantities of plastic in major marine areas (in billion pieces)* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165951/plastic-volume-in-major-marine-areas-worldwide/
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. "Estimated quantities of plastic in major marine areas (in billion pieces)*." Chart. December 1, 2020. Statista. Accessed June 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165951/plastic-volume-in-major-marine-areas-worldwide/
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. (2020). Estimated quantities of plastic in major marine areas (in billion pieces)*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165951/plastic-volume-in-major-marine-areas-worldwide/
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. "Estimated Quantities of Plastic in Major Marine Areas (in Billion Pieces)*." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Dec 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165951/plastic-volume-in-major-marine-areas-worldwide/
Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Estimated quantities of plastic in major marine areas (in billion pieces)* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165951/plastic-volume-in-major-marine-areas-worldwide/ (last visited June 28, 2025)
Estimated quantities of plastic in major marine areas (in billion pieces)* [Graph], Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, December 1, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1165951/plastic-volume-in-major-marine-areas-worldwide/