Easter Island’s ecological crisis grows

A study released on July 21 by Chile’s “Garbage Scientists” project shows that the amount of garbage on Easter Island’s beaches has doubled since 2021, making it the fastest-growing area in Latin America in terms of garbage per square meter of beach. Litter pressure from a resurgent tourism industry and the accumulation of marine debris from the Pacific Gyre are pushing the ecological capacity of this World Heritage site to its limits. In particular, the study notes that the island’s unique geographic location makes it more susceptible to becoming a ‘sink’ for marine plastics, and that limited ecological restoration capacity could trigger a chain reaction that threatens the survival of endemic species.