A significant amount of plastic waste ends up being dumped in unsuitable areas that present terrible consequences for the environment. As time passes and plastic degrades, various toxic chemicals are leached into the earth. In some cases, these chemicals can also enter rivers, streams, and aquifers and can inflict potentially catastrophic long term environmental impact.
 
 


Now is the time for waste management companies to research, develop, and embrace new and more effective technologies to manage waste. Such advances are particularly necessary with respect to the disposal of certain plastic resins, such as PET, HDPE, etc.
 
   
 


The greatest threat posed by the dumping and subsequent degradation of plastic waste may be to our oceans. Plastic dumping accounts for 90% of total ocean waste. The Pacific Ocean in particular suffers from extreme pollution and can be considered the world's largest waste dump. It is home to the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", a floating mass of 100 million tons of plastic flotsam that covers an area twice the size of the continental United States. This plastic waste is harmful to the ocean's ecosystem as well as to humans as it pollutes water supplies and is estimated to cause the death of hundreds of thousands of birds and marine animals annually.