The Lowcountry is renowned for its biodiversity, history and stunning beauty, which all attract millions of tourists each year. It has also become the second-largest port in the United States for international plastic exportation and resins, including plastic pellets, are now Charleston’s largest export commodity.
Plastic pellets, otherwise known as nurdles, are pre-production microplastics made to be melted and molded into everyday plastic products, from milk jugs to car bumpers. Birds and other aquatic life sometimes mistake spilled plastic pellets for food, as they can resemble tadpoles or fish eggs. According to an analysis of 2016 data, it is estimated that 10 trillion plastic pellets litter our oceans in a year.
In 2024, for World Migratory Bird Day, Charleston Surfrider and PIRG partnered to host a plastic pellet clean-up, and collected 1,133 plastic pellets in the tidal marsh at Waterfront Park. However, this clean-up only temporarily improved the situation -- many plastic pellets still contaminate the marsh in front of Waterfront Park. Charleston Waterkeeper and Charleston Surfrider sampled the wetland for 10 minutes on January 11 and found twice as many plastic pellets in the central part of the marsh than in the location where Charleston Waterkeeper normally samples for pellets, which is also in the marsh. During this same sampling, people saw plastic pellets on the surface of the marsh and on the grass, which could indicate recent leakage.
This Saturday, the organizations are hosting a fun, educational event -- including a “nurdle hunt” -- for the entire family to clean up pellets and draw attention to this insidious pollution. People can register for the event here.
During the event, a local expert will speak about the issue of plastic pellet pollution, discuss long-term solutions (such as the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act), demonstrate how to collect plastic pellets in the tidal marsh, and lead the “nurdle hunt” and tidal marsh clean-up.
Details:
- When: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2025
- Where: Waterfront Park (Pineapple Fountain), 1 Vendue Range, Charleston