In mid-October, the New South Wales and Victorian Environmental Protection agencies partnered with Tangaroa Blue, along with active participation from local plastic industry members, to assess the extent of the nurdle issue through a Nurdle Hunt.
Nurdles, also referred to as plastic resin, plastic feedstock, or pellets, serve as the fundamental components for plastic manufacturing. They look like tiny pellets roughly the size of lentils and come in many different colours.
Nurdles have emerged as a significant threat to marine life and ocean conservation. After entering waterways, the nurdles adsorbs chemicals, combined with their small size and shape making them a source of confusion for marine life. These toxic pellets are ingested, which can result in the demise of these creatures or their entry into the human food supply chain. Once these nurdles find their way into the marine environment, they become challenging to remove, highlighting the importance of preventing the release of nurdles at the source of any leak.
At both of the locations, Plane Spotting Beach in Botany, NSW, and Westgate Park along the Yarra River in Victoria, over 120 participants across both sites worked to remove litter and utilised strainers to sift through the sand in search of nurdles. Their efforts resulted in the collection of more than 120 kilograms of litter across both sites, with a significant presence of nurdles being discovered.
This project aimed to obtain agreement that there is a problem, identify the size of the problem and identify pathways to resolve the problem. By bringing these key stakeholders together, an opportunity was created to discuss methods for pinpointing potential leak points through processing, share insights, and propose practical solutions.
By employing the internationally recognised rating tool from Operation Clean Sweep, the Sydney location received a rating of 4, signifying significant PRP (plastic resin pellet) pollution, while the Melbourne site achieved a rating of 3, indicating a moderate level of PRP pollution. These ratings emphasise the urgency of actively pursuing solutions to tackle this problem.
Operation Clean Sweep is a global initiative that encourages organisations involved in the handling of nurdles to prevent the release of these plastic pellets, powders, and flakes into the environment by enhancing their handling and processing procedures. In joining, participants gain access to a wealth of established knowledge, enabling them to conduct audits, analyse process gaps, learn from the experiences of others, and develop best practices.
In the coming months, the NSW EPA and its partners will be reaching out to key stakeholders to provide valuable information and details on how they can participate in Operation Clean Sweep and access the tools it offers. For further information you can contact info@opcleansweep.org.au.
