Half of the world's water is polluted, with 14 billion pounds of trash entering the oceans each year. More than 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and over 18,000 Swedish lakes have been acidified to the point of endangering or eliminating fish populations. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of the United States, and 90% of ocean waste comes from land, with plastic making up a large portion. However, concerted efforts have provided safe drinking water access to 1.3 million more people, and further collaboration could help address the global water pollution crisis.