Artificial Stone Made of Plastic Found in Hawaii

Plastic may remain on our planet much longer than we realize. In addition to the plastic trash already discovered trapped in Arctic ice and the tons of trash buried in the ground, some plastic waste is turning into stone—specifically, artificial stones.

Scientists have discovered such stones on the beaches of the Hawaiian archipelago. These stones are composed of plastic, volcanic rock, sand, shell fragments, and coral. Geologist Douglas Jerolmack of the University of Pennsylvania is fascinated by this discovery. He says:

“If these objects survive (over the centuries), they would serve as a remarkable marker throughout the world of the times when humans lived and dominated, leaving behind enormous amounts of trash everywhere.”

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Most likely, these artificial stones were formed as a result of plastic being melted in bonfires set up on beaches by people.

This is the view of geologist Patricia Corcoran and Charles Moore, an oceanographer and captain of the research vessel Alguita. These stones, called plastiglomerates, are most commonly found on beaches and in areas of volcanic activity. The process of their formation involves molten plastic binding natural stones, sand, and coral together.

Patricia Corcoran says that in some of these rocks, one can still recognize shapes such as toothbrushes, forks, strings, and so on. Once such a rock becomes heavy enough, there is a high probability that it will sink to the bottom and be covered by other rock material, preserving the artificial rock for centuries. https://www.science.org/content/article/rocks-made-plastic-found-hawaiian-beach