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Plastic doesn't really "go away" or biodegrade, it can break down into smaller pieces of plastic, and it can photo-degrade into smaller, more brittle pieces from exposure to the elements over time. Either way leaves behind fragments and particles referred to as microplastics. It is important to understand that just because the pieces are incredibly small, doesn't mean they have gone away. The impact of micro and nano plastic particles on the environment is profound.

Plastic pollution and microplastics have been documented in dirt, air, ice-core samples, lakes, and streams. It's on the highest mountains and in the greatest depths of the ocean – It's in the intestinal tracts of all manner of marine life from tiny zooplankton, to fish, sea turtles, seabirds, and whales. Plastic fallout can be found quite literally everywhere on earth.

To get up to speed on the topic quickly and accurately, visit The 5 Gyres FAQ page

Large seabirds known as albatross have the dubious honor of serving as the canary in the coal mine when it comes to plastics in the ocean.

Despite the IUCN’s listing of nearly all species of albatross as threatened, one particular bird has persisted against the odds – she is known as "Wisdom" the Laysan Albatross, and is the oldest wild bird ever recorded. According the the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service “She is at least 65 years old and a world renowned symbol of hope for all species that depend upon the health of the ocean to survive.”

In February of 2018, Wisdom hatched another chick. We wish them both good health and long lives, and dedicate both the name of the business, and the work that we do in honor of magnificent creatures like the albatross, caught up in the fallout of our disposable culture.