US EditionEU takes aim at plastic pellets to prevent their nightmare cleanup
The European Parliament may impose new safeguards on companies to reduce annual pellet pollution estimated between 52,140 and 184,290 tonnes in the EU in 2019.
- On Thursday, the European Parliament could approve tougher rules targeting spills of nurdles, requiring companies in the European Union to adopt stricter handling safeguards.
- Shipping containers often cause nurdle losses when they fall overboard, a problem the International Maritime Organization has addressed with non-binding recommendations, and spills blight coastal areas in the European Union, harming tourism and fishing sectors.
- Anywhere between 52,140 tonnes and 184,290 tonnes of pellets entered the environment in the EU in 2019, and volunteers in northwest Spain used strainers after a late 2023 spill, with pellets found across Ecaussinnes and an 80-kilometre beach.
- Cedre experts warn recovery is physically intense and often incomplete, with Kevin Tallec noting pellets harm affected marine life including sea birds and turtles and pose potential human health risks.
- Amid the collapse of global plastic-pollution treaty negotiations in August, some industry groups resist limits, while Caroline Chaussard said, `We are well aware of all the issues, and obviously plastic pollution is something we need to get rid of.
54 Articles
54 Articles
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EU takes aim at plastic pellets to prevent their nightmare cleanup
At first glance, the tiny plastic pellets appear relatively harmless. No bigger than a lentil, these "nurdles" are destined to be melted down to make everything from car bumpers to salad bowls.
After two years of negotiations, the European Parliament gave its final green light on October 20th to the regulation on the prevention of losses of plastic pellets, a key measure to reduce microplastic pollution. These plastic granules, also called pellets, are small fragments of approximately 5 mm in size used as raw material to manufacture almost all plastic products. Widely dispersed during transport or handling, they (…) Read more In brief …
Brest - It is a plastic granule, round and translucent most often, of 5 mm on average, which taken in isolation seems harmless. But this king of escape travels in strips and when they pour by millions into the ocean, it is almost impossible to pick them up and stop their damage. Their official name? Industrial plastic pellets or GPI. They are also called pellets or "lames of sirens". These GPI are the first links in the plastic manufacturing cha…
At first glance, the tiny plastic granules seem relatively harmless. Not larger than a lens, these "noodles" are intended to be melted to make everything, from car bumpers to salad bowls. But when tens of millions of them spill trucks or cargoes, they are evil [...]
Plastic pellet regulation: the Rethink Plastic alliance welcomes the EU Parliament’s green light
After 2 years of negotiations, the Regulation on preventing pellet losses to reduce microplastic pollution has finally been formally approved by the European Parliament, paving the way for its publication in the Official Journal and entry into force in the coming weeks. As pellet pollution is a daily reality for citizens – such as in Tarragona (Spain) or Ecaussinnes (Belgium) – Rethink Plastic alliance (RPa) welcomes this long-awaited Regulation…
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