'Shocking' amount of plastic pellets washed up at Kimmeridge Bay
The Nurdles or raw plastic can be fatal to birds and fish if they eat them
Last updated 6th Apr 2023
Large amounts of tiny plastic pellets are being washed up on the beach at Kimmeridge Bay.
Visitors and staff at Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Wild Seas Centre at Kimmeridge Bay are reporting them seeing them.
Nurdles are the form of raw plastic that is transported to factories around the world to be moulded into a myriad of plastic products – anything from plastic bottles and bags to window frames and sunglasses.
Dorset Wildlife Trust say they are regularly spilled from container ships into the sea or in factories where they are washed down drains.
Nurdles are often eaten by fish and birds, and can accumulate in their stomachs causing feeding and digestion problems which can be fatal.
Wild Seas Centre Officer, Julie Hatcher said: “For many years, we have encouraged visitors to hunt for nurdles and hand pick them from the beach to help protect the important beach and shoreline wildlife.
"However, the number of nurdles currently on the beach has been truly shocking. We don’t know where they have come from, but many people are collecting handfuls of them and bringing them to us for disposal.”