Nurdle (plastic pellet) pollution in North East England is spreading following a plastic pellet spill at Port of Tyne, putting wildlife and sensitive sites at risk.
The nurdle pollution is the result of an incident at Port of Tyne on Sunday 19th July involving the vessel Wind Orca and the berthed container ship BG Orange, causing significant damage to a dockside gantry crane and injuring one person. The collision also resulted in damage to a shipping container of plastic pellets (also called nurdles) that are used to make almost all plastic products. One shipping container can contain approximately 25 tonnes of nurdles which is approximately 1 billion (1000,000,000) individual plastic pellets. No other contaminants or pollutants from the ship have been reported. The Environment Agency, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Port of Tyne and South Tyneside Council are now responding to the spill and are liaising with other councils in the area.
Significant nurdle (plastic pellet) pollution is now washing up on Littlehaven Beach in South Shields and reports are coming into www.nurdlehunt.org.uk of pollution as far south as Roker in Sunderland. The area impacted includes important areas for wildlife such as Marsden Bay home to one of England's most important seabird colonies. Nurdles are a form of microplastic pollution and these small plastic pellets are known to be ingested by seabirds species in the UK including fulmars and puffins, which can cause starvation and organ damage.
Response
As this incident happened in port the initial containment involves the Port of Tyne and Maritime and Coastguard Agency. However the plastic pellets have now spread. On shore landowners are responsible for clean up, this often requires specialist advice, equipment and support as well as community involvement. We understand that South Tyneside Council and other Councils in the area are aware of the spill with initial clean up underway in South Tyneside. The costs of clean up should be recovered from those responsible under the polluter pays principle. The council have said that the local community may be able to get involved in the clean up but no further details have been provided.
South Tyneside Council have issued a public notice advising residents to avoid handling the pellets and keep dogs on leads and have asked the public to report sightings and send photographs to
For those outside of South Tyneside or Sunderland those finding large numbers of pellets can contact the Government’s Pollution Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or online at www.gov.uk/report-environmental-problem
You can also log finds at www.nurdelhunt.org.uk or via our Great Nurdle Hunt app this will make your find publicly available to help raise awareness and document evidence of nurdle pollution around the UK and beyond.
Plastic pellet pollution:
Nurdles are small plastic pellets, which are melted down to make almost all our plastic products. Every year, across the world, an estimated 445,970 tonnes of raw plastic material, in the form or plastic pellets (also known as nurdles), are spilled into the environment from transport as well as every day operations at production, manufacturing, recycling and waste sites. This form of industrial pollution results from mismanagement of plastic pellets at each stage of the plastics supply chain from manufacture to transport and their use to make products. Once lost to the environment they can easily be washed swept or blown vast distances and accumulate on beaches worldwide.
Prevention:
Pellet pollution is highly preventable. Simple measure like ensuring pellets are stowed below deck in sturdy, sealed containers, like other hazardous goods, can make a big difference. This will help prevent plastic pellets going overboard and where accidents do occur make them far easier to clean up. There are currently no internationally agreed protocols for cleaning up plastic pellets after a spill and further guidance and cooperation is need to ensure resources and guidance is in place to deal with spills swiftly before the problem gets worse. With no protocols, compensation and restoration schemes in place specifically for plastic pellets it is very difficult to make sure that the polluter pays and swift clean up takes place.
Impacts of pellet spill on community and environment:
Once in the environment plastic pellets are very difficult to remove, they can contain toxic chemicals as well as adsorb toxic chemicals and bacteria such as E. Coli present in the water. Easily mistaken for food by many animals, nurdles and their toxins can enter the food chain. More than 220 marine species have been shown to ingest microplastic debris. Nurdles have been found in the stomachs and digestive tracts of a variety of species, from seabirds in the North Sea, to green turtles in Australia and fish off the coasts of Brazil. Spills can also affect local communities, impacting the fishing industry and tourism.
Heather McFarlane, Senior Project Manager, Fidra who run the Great Nurdle Hunt says:
‘It's devastating to see another plastic pellet spill, just over a year since the last one in the North Sea. Plastic pellets, also called nurdles, are very difficult to clean up, and if they aren't contained quickly they can spread far from the original spill site. We know from previous experience that nurdles in the environment can impact local communities, tourism and fishing as well as wildlife like fulmars. This spill is less than 3 miles away from Marsden Bay home to one of England's most important seabird colonies. Most pellet pollution can be prevented with simple measures like better packaging and safer stowage. We urgently need stronger UK regulation to prevent pollution on land and mandatory measures at sea to stop spills like this in the future.'
Alistair Leadbetter, local resident (Whitley Bay) says:
'I was shocked to see thousands of plastic pellets covering the sand, just feet away from children playing. People here take real pride in their beaches, and it's heartbreaking to see it treated this way. There are important wildlife areas nearby, and I'm worried about the impact this pollution will have on them.'