By the time it gets into these "garbage patches" it is already microscopic and distributed over the water column. What does make sense is to get fishermen to av

By the time it gets into these "garbage patches" it is already microscopic and distributed over the water column. What does make sense is to get fishermen to avoid losing gear. Also, trash collectors in bays and estuaries work very, very well. For example the Baltimore trash wheel. The difference is that near-shore trash collectors get it where it is highly concentrated, and before it breaks down into microplastics.