A devastating spill of up to 25 tonnes of plastic nurdles, estimated to be around a billion individual pellets, has contaminated the River Tyne after a ship collision. The tiny plastic beads, measuring between 1mm and 5mm, are the raw material used in the manufacture of most plastic products and have now spread significantly further than initially estimated along the North East coastline.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the vessel Wind Orca collided with the berthed container ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne. The impact caused damage to a dockside crane and resulted in one person sustaining injuries. The collision led to the substantial release of nurdles into the water, as confirmed by South Tyneside Council.
Nurdles have since been discovered washed up on South Shields beach, prompting the council to issue a warning to residents to avoid handling the pellets and to keep dogs on leads. While the pellets themselves are not considered toxic, their presence in the environment is highly problematic. Once in the water, they are almost impossible to fully remove and can absorb existing toxins, posing a secondary threat to marine ecosystems.
Environmental experts are particularly concerned about the impact on wildlife. Animals frequently mistake nurdles for food, and these plastic pellets have been found in the stomachs and digestive tracts of various species globally, including seabirds, green turtles, and fish. The spill occurred less than three miles from Marsden Bay, a critical habitat for one of England’s most important seabird colonies, amplifying fears for local wildlife.
Alistair Leadbetter, a local resident, expressed his shock to the Guardian at the sheer volume of nurdles covering the entire stretch of South Shields beach, noting that children were observed playing amongst them. The environmental charity Fidra, which tracks global nurdle pollution, indicates that the pellets have already dispersed widely, with sightings reported as far south as Sunderland, approximately seven miles from South Shields, and along the North Tyneside coastline, including Tynemouth Longsands, Cullercoats, and King Edward’s Bay.
Heather McFarlane, Senior Project Manager at Fidra, described the spill as “devastating” and emphasised that most pellet pollution is preventable through measures such as improved packaging and safer stowage. She urged for “stronger UK regulation to prevent pollution on land and mandatory measures at sea” to avert future incidents. HM Coastguard is currently assisting local authorities in the initial response, and the Environment Agency is providing expert advice to support the clean-up operation. South Tyneside Council has stated its intention to recover clean-up costs from the insurers of those responsible.