Support for the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act is growing

The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act now has  60 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill would prohibit the dumping or spilling of small plastic pellets, sometimes called nurdles, from facilities or sources that make, use, package, or transport them. 

Plastic pellets are a common form of plastic pollution. A recent study estimates that plastic pellets are the second-most common type of primary microplastic — intentionally created tiny, not broken-down pieces of larger plastic — in the ocean by weight. Researchers found them on 63% of beaches sampled within the Great Lakes region. Nurdle Patrol, a citizen science project, shows that nurdles are being found across the US, and a recent report, co-authored by Oracle Environmental Experts and Fidra, found nurdle pollution is ‘ubiquitous’ across the globe. These pellets pervade our lakes, rivers and seas because they get swept into wastewater or spilled during transportation, littering into our environment. 

Stronger regulation is key to holding the plastic industry responsible for their pollution. Let’s push for all our members of Congress to sign-on to this common sense legislation. Tell your Senators and House Representative to support this bill today!