Nurdle pollution in the North East
In July 2026, a major plastic pellet spill in the River Tyne released an estimated 24-25 tonnes of industrial plastic pellets, known as nurdles, into the environment. Since then, these tiny pellets have been found along coastlines across the North East, creating a significant pollution incident for our marine and coastal habitats.
What are nurdles?
Nurdles are small plastic resin pellets, typically measuring between 1 and 5 mm. They are raw material used to manufacture almost every plastic product, including bottles, packaging, toys and many household items.
Although they are not plastic waste, once released into the environment then can become a serious form of pollution.
What happened?
On 19 July 2026, an offshore vessel collided with a berthed container ship in the Port of Tyne, damaging a dockside crane and rupturing a container carrying nurdles. An estimated one billion plastic pellets escaped into the River Tyne and have since been carried by tides, waves and coastal currents.
Because nurdles are lightweight and buoyant, they can travel long distances, which is why they are being found on beaches and shorelines well beyond the River Tyne.
How does this impact wildlife?
Nurdle spills are considered serious environmental incidents because the pellets can persist in the environment for many years.
Marine wildlife may mistake nurdles for food; and can therefore affect seabirds, fish, crabs, shellfish and, indirectly, marine mammals, through the food chain. The pellets can also absorb other pollutants, including oil, which increases the risk to wildlife and habitats.
Potential impacts include:
- Digestive blockage and starvation in animals
- Reduced reproductive success
- Transfer of pollutants through the food web
- Breakdown into smaller microplastics over time.
Unlike oil, nurdles do not dissolve or evaporate. Experience from similar incidents around the world shows that nurdles can remain in coastal sediments for many years and continue to wash up after storms.
How you can help
For up to date Information on local clean up efforts and how you can help by writing to your MP can be found here - Port of Tyne nurdle spill — Volunteer board.
Working together for our coast
The scale of this spill means recovery efforts are likely to continue for some time. By supporting clean ups, reporting sightings and calling for stronger prevention measures, we can help protect the North East’s internationally important marine and coastal wildlife together for the future.
Image © Leah Pattem
Campaign efforts
On Monday 3rd August campaigners, including NWT members of staff, handed over the signed Open Letter to the Port of Tyne (PoT) CEO Matt Beeton. The letter outlined concerns over the lack of action from the PoT to clean up the nurdles at the source of the incident and demanded this be changed by enabling trained boat people on the river to recover the nurdles there. The letter has been signed by 2,392 people including individuals, local groups, organisations, councillors, and MPs. BBC and ITV news were there to capture and broadcast the event, news of the disaster making national news.
Immediately following the public handover community leaders met with PoT CEO and staff to discuss the points made in the Open Letter and gain clarification on the events that followed the incident. The meeting was extremely productive, both sides agreeing to work together going forward with a new open communication approach.
On the 6th August we received news that the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority has been given the go ahead to enter the river with trained volunteers, enabling the nurdles to be scooped up before they reach our beaches. This is a big win for the campaign.
