Fauna & Flora International have released a new report into plastic pellets’ impact on the environment and biodiversity, exploring how and when they enter our oceans and the limited action being taken to prevent this damaging source of pollution.

FFI’s new report, ‘Stemming the tide: putting an end to plastic pellet pollution’,  highlights that plastic pellet pollution is entirely preventable and outlines a series of evidence-based recommendations for immediate measures and regulations that can be put in place to help curb the issue.  An extract of the news release from FFI is below:

Plastic Pellets: the current picture

By weight, plastic pellets are estimated to be the second largest direct source of microplastic marine pollution; it is estimated that billions of individual pellets enter the ocean every year.

Because the pellets are so small, they can easily escape if not stored and handled properly and this results in smaller but chronic losses. Not only are plastic pellets becoming an eye-sore on beaches around the world, they are inherently dangerous to wildlife. Often mistaken for food by marine life, pellets are regularly eaten or ingested, filling the stomachs of fish and animals and leading to starvation.

Worse yet, already hazardous due to the toxic additives they contain, plastic pellets act like a sponge, adsorbing and accumulating bacteria and persistent environmental pollutants that are present in sea water. When pellets come into contact with, or are eaten by, marine animals, therefore, the toxins, chemicals and bacteria can potentially be transferred to the animal – effectively acting as a poisoned pill for marine life.

How we can put a halt on plastic pellet loss

Amongst the recommendations outlined in our report is a call for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is responsible for regulating global shipping, to classify plastic pellets as marine pollutants, which would mean that they are immediately subject much stricter handling rules when shipped at sea.

Other recommendations range from the use of appropriate packaging from the point of production to the point of delivery, to improving disaster response in the event of major spillages.

The full news release from FFI can be read here.

Download ‘Stemming the tide: putting an end to plastic pellet pollution’.

Download the executive summary.