On Wednesday 11th Feb of this year, Planet Aware volunteers hosted their second mini-conference, “Aspects of marine plastic pollution”, at Bembridge sailing club which focused on some small, but significant pollutants in our marine and coastal environments – namely nurdles ( plastic pellets) and cigarette butts.
The group’s first ever meeting on nurdle pollution on the IW was held back in January 2024 which led to then MP Bob Seely, raising the issue of nurdle pollution in Parliament.
Over 50 people attended this year’s event including Ryan Pratt representing Crown Estates, Suzie Ellis ( representing Joe Robertson MP) , High Sheriff Jacqueline Gazzard and Councillors from many of the Islands parishes, including Ryde Town Council.
Representatives from the National Trust, Sandown Green Town, IW Greenpeace, West Wight Eco Refill, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, IW Biosphere, The Common Space, and many more interested other parties also attended.
Main focus of the day
Nurdles which were the main focus of the day, are tiny, lentil sized pellets that are the feed stock of all our plastic goods. They are shipped to factories all over the world, but during manufacture and transportation trillions are lost to the environment with lasting impacts on marine and human health.
Cigarette butt pollution was also included in this year’s event as they are the most littered plastic item globally. Made of cellulose acetate, a form of plastic, the butts nor the toxins in them, do not naturally biodegrade in the environment.
A range of guest speakers
Guest speakers at this years’ event included : Rowan Stanforth from FIDRA, an environmental charity who work nationally and internationally and who organise the Great Global Nurdle Hunt.
The charity use science based research to raise awareness and to push for policy change on a number of topics including nurdles and PFAs (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ).
Emma Teasdale from “Litter free Dorset’ spoke about projects in Dorset to reduce cigarette butt litter, as well as, some of their other litter reduction and coastal projects. She spoke about the success of the collection of cigarette butts from the coast using similar ballot boxes to the Planet Aware programme supported in Ryde.
This is something the group would like to see extended as their surveys have revealed significant numbers of cigarette butts on beaches and coastal frontages.
MSC student, Dan Stonehouse and Dr Jessica Savage from Portsmouth University , presented two projects currently running on the IW. One looking at nurdle pollution and the other investigating pollution from shipping. Dr Savage has been very supportive in finding students interested in researching these topics after being contacted by Planet Aware coastal volunteers.
Oracle Environmental Expert’s (OEE) Kate Fraser-Smith supported by Aaron Wren, gave a presentation about the toxics found in and on nurdles and also presented a case study of a clean up response following the collision of the Solong and Stena Immaculate in 2025.
This collision resulted in trillions of plastic pellets polluting the ocean and the East coast of the UK- Lincolnshire and Norfolk beaches and the protected Titchwell Marsh Nature Reserve. OEE also brought along some of the equipment they use to help clear such spills ( unfortunately the weather conditions meant they were unable to give a full demonstration as in the previous year).
Furthermore, Theo Vickers a local marine biologist and marine photographer, spoke about the impact nurdle pollution on marine life and ecosystems with a local focus.
Nurdle and cigarette butt pollution
Planet Aware volunteers gave presentations about the nurdle and cigarette butt pollution – how these impact our coast and what might be done in terms of prevention.
They also outlined the progress made on nurdle pollution since their last meeting including a new EU directive on the transport and supply chain of nurdles which they group want to encourage the UK to adopt onto their statute books.
Various displays
Attendees to the event were also able to look at various displays covering other areas of marine plastic pollution such as shipping , fishing debris and bin-frastructure (how we can improve our bins on the coast).
Councillors were invited to sign up to using the newly designed Planet Aware coastal themed, cigarette butt litter posters in their areas in order to raise awareness of this persistent pollutant.
One of the most striking displays included creative works made to raise awareness of nurdle pollution by local creatives Wendy Welsford, Steffi Haynes ( Sea Fever Ceramics) and Hannah George.
Their works included a Doomsday clock, a sea dwelling nurdle eater and natural handmade papers with embedded nurdles illustrating how, despite their small size, nurdles have a significant impact on our natural world.
Planet Aware volunteers hope that more IW creatives will come forward to create works for a future exhibition during the next Great Nurdle Hunt in October 2026.
Marshall: All the hard work was certainly worth our while
Sarah Marshall, a Planet Aware volunteer said,
“All the hard work organising this event was certainly worth our while because so many people came along to support the event. We hope that they will go away and do what they can to share information with others and to take action on the pollutants that were discussed.
“We would have liked to have invited even more people along and to have had even more speakers!! – maybe this is something for another year!
“We are especially grateful to all our guest speakers who gave their time freely to support this event especially to FIDRA and OEE who have supported us for some time now regarding nurdle pollution.”
Beach cleans
So far this year, the voluntary community group have removed more than one and half large skips worth of rubbish from IW beaches in addition to organising this event. The year ahead will see the group run more beach cleans and nurdle hunts alongside educational activities and they hope, a nurdle awareness art exhibition in October!
Any creatives or members of the public wishing to get involved should contact the group: [email protected].
More information on the Great Nurdle hunt can be found on the website.
News shared by Sarah Marshall and Andrew Dean on behalf of Planet Aware IW committee team. Ed
