Nurdles are tiny plastic pellets used to make most of our plastic products. Unfortunately, spillages and mishandling by industry mean that nurdles escape and get washed into the sea. It is estimated that 53 billion nurdles escape into the UK environment each year!
Due to their tiny size, nurdles are mistaken as prey and eaten by marine wildlife and they move up the food chain. Unfortunately nurdles also act as sponges in the sea, attracting pollutants. This means nurdles become packed with toxins, and become even more harmful to wildlife. One further problem is that nurdles do not break down over time. They simply break into smaller and smaller pieces. This means nurdles are becoming more and more widespread in our oceans.
What can you do to help? Pick up nurdles! The more we collect, the fewer end up in the sea. Always make sure you wear gloves when handling nurdles as they contain toxins. Nurdles have been spotted on Lyme’s Church Beach. Head that way and take a bag and some gloves to help get rid of them.
Meet at the Heritage Coast Centre.
Turn Lyme Green promotes sustainable living in Lyme Regis. Set up…
