We have set the date of Sunday 15 March for our contribution to the Great Global Nurdle Hunt – and a QRC Breakwater Blitz litter-pick as well. The event will start at noon – which is low water. The Maid will have been out for a youth training row and will be on a pontoon, so the aim is to carry on collecting litter off the breakwater and counting nurdles until social rowing gets under way at 1pm. Rachel H is letting Port Edgar know – we need their permission to clamber about on the breakwater. We have gloves and bags, grabbers, buckets etc. I hope as many folk as possible can help out – it’s amazing how much stuff can be cleared in an hour!
For those who weren’t involved in last year’s nurdle hunt, these are little plastic pellets that wash up on beaches all around the world.
Over 350 million tonnes of plastic was produced in 2018, weighing more than the total weight of the human population.
Nurdles are used in the manufacture of plastics and as they are shipped around the world spillages and accidents mean they enter the environment. Many contain toxic chemicals that leaches out into water. Birds and fish mistake them for food. Surveys have revealed the shocking extent of the problem – this year a Dutch study estimated that every year, more than 8 trillion of these microplastics – 23 billion granules a day – end up in the environment within the European Union.
The Firth of Forth is a study area as well, so our data contributes to that. The nurdle hunt was started by Fidra, based in North Berwick.
The more people we have taking part in The Great Nurdle Hunt the greater the pressure becomes for decision makers and industry to do something. By taking part you can add your voice to this cause. – FIDRA
I will add that I’ve joined a campaign for a Plastic-Free Queensferry. There’s a plan afoot to stage a Mass Unwrap at Tesco in the near future. I’ll let you know when a date is set, and hopefully some of you will be able to take part. (Tesco gave us a date but at too short notice. We’re waiting for another one.) Everyone at the meeting I attended was very impressed to hear of the initiatives QRC was already take to minimise plastic waste.