Fauna & Flora International (FFI), a UK-based environmental conservationist organisation has called on the plastics industry to support a global standard to stop the spillage of plastic pellets in Europe.
The call came following an investigation at the Port of Antwerp which found “thousands” of lentil-sized pieces of plastic, known as ‘nurdles’, polluting the Belgian coast and the wildlife habitats in the area.
The Port of Antwerp is the largest transport and production hub for pellets in Europe, and large areas of the port are part of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network, a series of nature protection areas.
Coordinated by NGOs and volunteers in consultation with Scottish ocean charity Fidra, the investigation confirmed the existence of the pellets and their entrance into the ocean despite initiatives put in place by the industry to eliminate pellet spills at the port.
“Unfortunately, the findings are not a surprise,” said Hazel Akester, marine plastics programme officer at Fauna & Flora International.
Akester described pellet pollution as “a persistent and chronic problem”, saying the current system for handling pellets did not prevent the leakage of “billions of pellets” into the environment.
To address the issue, she said that pellet handlers across the full plastic supply chain needed to be transparent and to ‘urgently take action’.
“We are therefore calling for the plastics industry to support a global standard that can set a minimum acceptable standard for pellet handling,” she added.
Without giving details, FFI said the global standard being proposed had already won support from investors and government partners and could form the basis of future legislation.
FFI’s call follows an intervention last week by MEP Bas Eickhout, vice-chair of the Green Party/EFA who called for a new legislation in Europe to prevent the leakage of plastic pellets into the environment.
Belgium-based plastics value chain association PlasticsEurope adopted a Zero Pellet Loss (ZPL) initiative in 2013 to raise awareness among employees at manufacturing plants on how to properly manage pellets and other particles at each step of the production and supply chain.
In 2015, ZPL was integrated on a pan-European base into the global Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) programme to align and concentrate global industry efforts under a common approach.
In its 2019 report, published in October, the OCS report on Port of Antwerp Activity said polymers producers and logistics companies were putting efforts into the implementation of basic measures and engaged in more advanced and innovative solutions.
The report emphasised, however, that that there was very considerable room for improvement, such as in encouraging value chain partners to join OCS and in auditing performances.
“Despite significant efforts already put in place by the polymers producers and logistics companies in the port area, the objective of zero pellet loss has not been achieved yet,” PlasticsEurope noted.
The report concluded that the pellet loss situation was “non-satisfactory” and that, “each partner in the plastics value chain needs to engage and continue efforts to tackle this issue, thereby securing an environment free of plastic pellets.”
Plastic pellets are estimated to be one of the largest direct source of microplastic pollution to the ocean by weight, according to environmental NGO As You Sow.
Environmentalist organisation urges action against nurdle pollution
As You Sow