Nurdles – Plastic pollution from factories along the coast and from ships

The colloquial term for “pre-production plastic pellets”, nurdles are not deemed hazardous under the International Maritime Organization’s dangerous goods code for safe handling and storage. Nevertheless, if they are (unintentionally) released into the ocean, they become highly persistent pollutants and a threat to coastal communities, ecosystems and food security. They act also as a kind of “sponge” as they attract chemical toxins and other pollutants to their surfaces. Every year nurdle spills occur releasing dozens of tons of pellets from plastic plants or when shipped around the world as raw material to factories in the ocean.