A new analysis published in Scientific Reports reveals the makeup of a massive collection of floating trash in the North Pacific in a way that’s never been done before. Known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the area weighs 87,000 tons — 16 times more than previous estimates — and contains more than 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic. Comparatively, the patch is twice the size of Texas with trash weighing more than 43,000 cars. Full report.