Where is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

The patch sits within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a giant system of rotating currents that slowly draws floating waste toward its calm centre. A 2018 study estimated it covers about 1.6 million square kilometres, roughly three times the size of France, and contains around 80,000 tonnes of plastic. Despite its name, it is not a solid island of rubbish but a vast area with high concentrations of mostly small plastic fragments. Much of the larger debris comes from fishing nets and gear. Sunlight and waves break plastic into microplastics that are eaten by marine life and enter the food chain.