An investigation carried out by Greenpeace Italia looking into nurdle pollution in the South of Italy has discovered a new hotspot of nurdle pollution in the Brindisi region, thought to be caused by local industry.
Nurdle pollution identified near the Brindisi petrochemical plant in Southern Italy. Credit: Greenpeace Italia
Throughout 2021, Greenpeace investigated the occurrence of nurdles on 12 beaches in the South of Italy, all the beaches were located at different distances from the Brindisi petrochemical plant which is known to produce nurdles. At each beach, ten samples were taken in April, May, June and November 2021.
A total of 7,938 nurdles were found at all the sites combined, the majority (66.8%) of those nurdles were identified on the three beaches closest to the Brindisi plant, with the highest concentration recorded on the island of Sant’Andrea (in the port area of Brindisi).
Most of the nurdles (approx. 70% of the total) were translucent and transparent suggesting they could have been from recent spills.This shows that Brindisi, in common with other areas near to nurdle producing petrochemical facilities and ports, could be considered as a nurdle pollution hotspot.
Greenpeace has submitted a complaint to the juridical authorities asking them to investigate the pollution and has asked companies in the area to show public evidence that demonstrates they are not responsible for contaminating the area. Read the full investigation report and more about Greenpeace's work.
Nurdle pollution hotspots are increasingly being identified all over the world, and with plastic production set to rapidly increase over the coming decade, there has never been a more pressing time to address nurdle and plastic pollution. Addressing plastic pollution starts with nurdles, we need solutions which address the full lifecycle of plastics. Read more on solutions.
