The International Plastic Pellet Count

On May 3rd, 2025, join us at the first annual International Plastic Pellet Count!

Plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are typically less than 5 mm in size, and they’re the raw material that’s used to make familiar plastic products like water bottles, grocery bags and polystyrene foam. These tiny plastics are frequently spilled, leaked or dumped into the environment, especially our waterways, during manufacturing and transport. As a result, they frequently wash up on riverbanks, lakeshores and beaches.

To illustrate the magnitude of the problem, volunteers across America and beyond will be hosting plastic pellet counts and clean up events at their local waterways to help identify where plastic pellet pollution is happening and make the case for action.

You can help by going out and looking for nurdles or hosting an event in your local community. Plastic pellet counts can be as quick as 10 minutes.

Let us know how you’d like to be involved, where you’d like to look for pellets, and we will follow up with more information.

Let the hunt begin!