Billion plastic pellets spilled into UK river after two ships collide

The Guardian UK Wednesday 22 July 2026, 15:34 UTC By Pippa Neill Environment reporter 1 min read

Key Points

Up to 25 tonnes of nurdles, the raw material for plastic manufacturing, have spread further than initially fearedApproximately a billion tiny plastic nurdles have entered the River Tyne after a “devastating spill”, with the pellets thought to have spread much further than first thought. Nurdles are tiny pellets, usually about 1-5mm in size, that act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products.

Up to 25 tonnes of nurdles, the raw material for plastic manufacturing, have spread further than initially feared

Approximately a billion tiny plastic nurdles have entered the River Tyne after a “devastating spill”, with the pellets thought to have spread much further than first thought.

Nurdles are tiny pellets, usually about 1-5mm in size, that act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products.

UK (LOCATION) the River Tyne (LOCATION)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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Billion plastic pellets spilled into UK river after two ships collide

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Billion plastic pellets spilled into UK river after two ships collide