Plastic bottles travel thousands of miles to pollute latin america’s pacific coastlines

The pristine turquoise beaches of Latin America’s Pacific coast, beloved by migrating whales and tourists alike, are becoming dumping grounds for plastic bottles that have traveled vast distances across ocean currents. A groundbreaking new study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production reveals the extensive contamination patterns affecting Central and South American shorelines, marking the first comprehensive research to trace plastic pollution across such a wide swath of the Latin American Pacific.

“It’s the first time a study looking at origin and abundance covers such a vast section of the Latin American Pacific,” said co-author Ostin Garcés-Ordóñez, a marine scientist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The research analyzed bottles collected from cities, continental beaches, and remote islands, uncovering contamination patterns never before documented in the region.

Hundreds of citizen scientists across 10 countries participated in this massive data collection effort, coordinated by Garcés-Ordóñez and the Chile-based network Cientificos de la Basura (Litter Scientists). Working alongside local researchers and educators, volunteers collected plastic bottles from beaches, rivers, and islands to trace their origins and understand regional pollution flows.

The study highlights how inadequate waste infrastructure exacerbates the problem. In Costa Rica, for example, only five of the country’s 84 municipalities have facilities capable of separating recyclable from non-recyclable waste. This research provides crucial insights into how ocean currents transport plastic waste across international borders, creating pollution challenges that require coordinated regional solutions rather than isolated national efforts.