US EditionPlastic pellets known as ‘nurdles’ are polluting beaches and waterways
Legislators and activists urge stricter rules to curb plastic pellet spills harming Texas waterways, with Texas coastal sites showing the highest nurdle counts nationwide, officials say.
- On Jan. 11, 2025, volunteers with Turtle Island Restoration Network removed 1,216 nurdles from Galveston, Texas, a coastal city drawing up to 8 million visitors.
- When pellets are mishandled during manufacturing or transport, nurdles commonly leak into the environment and slip through storm drains into waterways; Operation Clean Sweep covers over two-thirds of U.S. plastics production but critics say it lacks oversight.
- An estimated 445,970 metric tons of nurdles enter oceans annually, volunteers collected nearly 50,000 pellets during an 11-day international sweep at more than 200 sites, with Texas sites reporting the highest total at 23,115.
- Recreational and tourism groups urged Gov. Greg Abbott to adopt nurdle discharge standards, citing economic importance; the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has yet to act amid industry pressure.
- Legislative momentum is growing as bills are introduced in multiple states, with State Rep. Erin Zwiener repeatedly filing nurdle legislation and local leaders like J.P. Bryan pushing action amid stalled regulatory changes.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Plastic pellets known as ‘nurdles’ are polluting beaches and waterways • Oklahoma Voice
A snapshot of "nurdles" collected from Galveston, Texas, shorelines shows the condition of these plastics as they weather in the marine environment. Nurdles, the tiny plastic pellets that are the basic building blocks of nearly all plastic products, are polluting beaches and waterways around the country. (Photo courtesy of Turtle Island Restoration Network)SEADRIFT, Texas — Aboard an aluminum skiff or one of her five kayaks, fourth-generation sh…
Louisiana Illuminator
Plastic pellets known as ‘nurdles’ are polluting beaches and waterways
A snapshot of "nurdles" collected from Galveston, Texas, shorelines shows the condition of these plastics as they weather in the marine environment. Nurdles, the tiny plastic pellets that are the basic building blocks of nearly all plastic products, are polluting beaches and waterways around the country. (Photo courtesy of Turtle Island Restoration Network)SEADRIFT, Texas — Aboard an aluminum skiff or one of her five kayaks, fourth-generation sh…
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