Plastic pellets (also known as nurdles!), are tiny plastic pellets used as raw material in the production of all plastic products. Unfortunately, pellets are a major source of plastic pollution – trillions are released into the global  environment each year due to mishandling throughout every part of the supply chain.

In fact, pellet pollution is the third largest source of microplastic pollution in Europe. And it doesn’t stop there…

• 184,000 tonnes of plastic pellets (that’s about 20 full truckloads!) are lost to the environment in Europe every single day.
• Pellets are often mistaken for food by wildlife and ingested, exposing them to toxic chemicals and health risks. Studies have shown that over 90% of seabirds have ingested plastic pellets.
• Chemicals in these pellets can leach into the water, posing a threat to both marine life and human health.

Pellet spills are virtually impossible to clean up, but they are preventable with the right policies in place and industry compliance. ‍

What can we do to #BeatPelletPollution?

Urgent and binding action at the EU-level is needed to introduce mandatory, industry-wide measures to prevent pellet loss.

To build continued support and momentum for the EU Commission’s proposal for a regulation on preventing plastic pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution, EarthEcho International is planning a series of actions to highlight the importance of regulating plastic pellets.

Join GenSea youth in raising our voices to ensure that the EU policymakers take action to beat pellet pollution and adopt a strong pellet regulation!

Take Action

Film a 5-10 second video calling on EU representatives to adopt pellet loss regulation. Full details here!

>> SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO <<

Join the Great Nurdle Hunt! Help tackle worldwide nurdle pollution by getting outside and collecting all the plastic pellets you can find. Throughout September, community scientists from all over the world will be searching, counting, and recording what they find.

>> LEARN HOW TO NURDLE HUNT <<