Microplastic pollution ‘requires industry and government to work in partnership’, says Zero Waste Scotland report

Zero Waste Scotland has published its ‘Preventing plastic pollution from pellet loss’ report, which calls for industry, governments, and other stakeholders to work together to protect the environment.

The report sets out a system where supply chains are handling pellets responsibly and effectively to prevent pollution caused by their loss to the environment.

The release of the report coincides with the Great Global Nurdle Hunt, an event held by the Scottish charity Fidra that records nurdles found on beaches and coastal areas worldwide.

 Sarah Archer, Zero Waste Scotland plastics policy analyst, said: “This is a key step towards putting in place a robust solution that will prevent pollution by plastic pellets in Scotland and beyond.”

“It shows what can be achieved when organisations with a range of experiences and expertise work together to find effective, feasible, and affordable ways to tackle a problem.”

“The report proposes a system that will enable those companies handling plastic pellets to demonstrate they are handling pellets responsibly and communicate this. A key element of this system is the independent audits that will create the transparency needed to give everyone from industry and government to the public the confidence that this issue is being tackled.”

“By sharing this report, we hope that further collaboration with industry and decision-makers beyond our borders will mean a coordinated solution to prevent plastic pellet pollution globally can be developed.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Scottish Government and the steering group to achieve this.”

Jasper Hamlet, Senior Project Officer at Fidra, said: “The Great Nurdle Hunt illustrates the scale of this pollution problem, with people finding plastic pellets on beaches from Scotland to South Africa.”

“The valuable data people collect on nurdles they find across the world evidences the need for action from industry and government to prevent further plastic pollution. In Scotland this data is already having an impact.”