We’re campaigning for Microplastic Free Waters

Plastic fragments have been found at the top of the Alps, in the deepest parts of our oceans and in our Colorado waterways. Some of this microplastic is in the form of nurdles. You may not be familiar with them, but these lentil-sized plastics pose a huge threat to our waters and wildlife.

What are plastic pellets, and why are so many in our waterways?

Plastic pellets, are the building blocks of plastic manufacturing. At plastic factories, pellets that fall on the floor or get contaminated with dirt are sometimes washed down drains. Because they’re small and lightweight, nurdles are often spilled during transport too. In 2017, a BNSF train derailed in Boulder carrying pellets and in  2023, three Norfolk Southern trains derailed and dumped pellets near the Lehigh River in Pennsylvania. 

Many of the major railroads that transport plastic pellets pass through Colorado. Some travel along iconic waterways where spilled plastic pellets can contaminate places like the Colorado River.

Plastic pellets are extremely difficult to clean up once they reach our waterways, and often polluters are not held accountable. One example: In Louisiana, 743 million pellets were spilled from a container ship in the Port of New Orleans. It took weeks to begin clean-up while agencies and companies debated who was responsible, by which point a local expert estimated as many as 75 percent of the pellets had already swept downstream.

Trillions of plastic pellets in our waterways for hundreds of years

Ten trillion pellets are estimated to enter the ocean each year, making them the second-largest source of primary microplastic in marine areas. They dot the beaches of Florida and are piled up on Oregon, South Carolina and Texas coasts. Inland waters are at risk too.  A survey of 16 rivers and streams in Colorado found microplastics, which plastic pellets can contribute to, in all the studied waterways. As a headwaters state, Colorado’s waterways feed both the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. 

Every plastic pellet that has ever been spilled or washed into our waters is likely out there in some form or another. That is because pellets can take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to break down.

Plastic pellets are a toxic threat

Once in the environment, it’s far too easy for a bird, fish or turtle to mistake these plastic pellets for food. If they eat enough plastic, they can starve to death. 

Plastic pellets can also absorb toxic chemicals including DDT, PCBs, and mercury. These types of pollutants bioaccumulate, meaning they become more concentrated and more toxic as they move up the food chain. If we eat an animal or fish that has ingested nurdles, the plastic and toxic chemicals from that animal will end up in our system, too. Microplastics themselves have been found throughout the human body.

Our existing clean water laws don’t do enough to stop plastic pellet pollution

The Clean Water Act is supposed to stop companies from dumping pollution into our rivers, but rules regarding plastic pellets are outdated and often not enforced. Formosa Plastics in Texas released millions of pellets from their factory near Lavaca Bay for years despite having a permit allowing for only “trace amounts,” leading to a lawsuit by the San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper.

The large settlement hasn’t been enough to convince other companies to stop pellet pollution: In December 2023, PennEnvironment and Three Rivers Waterkeeper sued BVPV Styrenics LLC and its parent company, Styropek USA, Inc., for alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act involving illegal discharges of plastics from their plastic manufacturing facility in Monaca, Pennsylvania.

Our waters should be free from microplastic

Companies shouldn’t be allowed to dump or spill plastic into our waterways. That’s why we’re working to get the legislature to introduce and pass a Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act in Colorado. We need a bill to ban discharges of plastic pellets from facilities or sources that make, use, package or transport them.

It’s a common-sense solution, but few realize how big a problem plastic pellets are. That’s why we’re building a powerful coalition of local water protectors and concerned citizens to educate the public and convince the Colorado legislature to act, before another trillions more pellets pour into our waterways. And, when we find companies violating existing clean water laws, we’re filing lawsuits to stop pellet pollution.

CoPIRG has a long history of effective work to reduce plastic waste. Thanks to our combination of grassroots organizing and professional research and advocacy, Colorado enacted a ban on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene food containers and cups. 

If we win, we can take a big bite out of the plastic pollution that’s threatening our waterways and wildlife.