RESIDENTS have reported “thousands” of plastic pellets washing up at beaches across the region.
The plastic nurdles, which are used in the manufacturing of plastic products around the world, have been sited at Highcliffe beach, Southbourne beach and Kimmeridge bay in recent weeks.
Bournemouth resident Anna Mantzouratou told the Daily Echo how she saw a “significant amount” of the little beads whilst walking at Kimmeridge Bay on the morning of Saturday, March 26.
She said: “There were thousands and thousands of them everywhere.
“I spoke to someone on the day who has lived in Kimmeridge Bay for a long time, and he said he hasn’t seen it as bad for the 30 years he’s been there.
“A colleague of mine also saw the pellets in Highcliffe on the same day- they saw exactly the same thing.”
Another resident also reported seeing a large amount of plastic nurdles on Southbourne Beach between March 21 and 23.
BCP Council say they have been “clearing these microplastics and will continue to monitor and clear where possible.”
While many residents and visitors to the beach have been left concerned by the nurdles, Litter Free Dorset say they are common, and are part of an “ongoing problem on Dorset’s beaches”.
Emma Teasdale, the Litter Free Dorset coordinator, said: “Nurdles can be found lurking under the sand on beaches all along the Dorset coast.
“They are the beginning of the plastic manufacturing process – tiny plastic pellets that are heated and moulded into every plastic item we see in the world, from shampoo bottles to mobile phone covers.
“Nurdles can leak from shipping containers, but estimates suggest that most losses of pellets occur on land, via plastic manufacturing sites.”
Emma added that the pellets are “very difficult to clean up”, and said there are currently no internationally agreed protocols for dealing with them after a spill.
Litter Free Dorset are now calling for plastic pellets to be reclassified by the International Maritime Organisation, so that they can be safely stowed, and proper protocols can be put in place for clean-ups.
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