What are Nurdles?
Nurdles, or plastic pellets, are small bits of plastic about the size of a lentil (around 2-3mm wide). These pellets are the building blocks of the plastics industry and are used to make all the plastic products you use and find today; from water bottles to car parts.
These nurdles are transported across the world and used in almost every country. Because of their size and sometimes poor handling management they are easily and often spilled throughout thw supply chain. This can happen at any point during production, transport or processing and these spilt nurdles can find their way into the marine environment. This means thousands of tonnes are lost to the seas each year from accidental spills – over 160,000 tonnes in Europe alone – that’s billions and billions of pellets. Once at sea, these microplastics can cause harm to marine life where they are often mistaken for food and eaten.