Nurdles – small pearls, big disaster

by

On the morning of 10 March 2025, there was an accident off the coast of East Yorkshire. The tanker Stena Immaculate collided with the cargo ship Solong. While all but one person escaped with their lives, an environmental nightmare began as the accident released nurdles.

Am Morgen des 10. März 2025 krachte es vor der Küste von East Yorkshire. Der Tanker Stena Immaculate und das Cargoschiff Solong kollidierten. Während Menschen bis auf eine Person mit dem Schrecken davonkamen, begann für die Umwelt ein Albtraum, denn durch die Havarie wurden Nurdles freigesetzt.

Nurdles found on Cley beach

What sounds like the name of a creature from a fantasy novel is actually a global environmental problem with dramatic consequences. ‘Nurdles,’ Siri explains, ‘are small, lens-shaped plastic pellets, usually transparent or milky white. They are the raw material from which almost all plastic products are made. They are something like the “flour” of the plastic industry.’ 
‘Unfortunately, they have no expiry date,’ adds Selma. In other words, nurdles in the sea remain nurdles for eternity.

Was sich wie der Name eines Wesens aus einem Fantasieroman anhört, ist ein globales Umweltproblem mit dramatischen Folgen. “Nurdles“, so erklärt uns Siri, “sind kleine, linsenförmige Kunststoffkügelchen, meist durchsichtig oder milchig weiß. Sie bilden den Rohstoff, aus dem fast alle Plastikprodukte entstehen. Sie sind so etwas wie das ‘Mehl’ der Plastikindustrie.”
“Leider ohne Ablaufdatum“, setzt Selma hinzu. Oder anders gesagt: Nurdles im Meer bleiben Nurdles für ewige Zeiten.

 A nurdle is a tiny plastic pellet made from fossil fuels.

After the shipwreck, large quantities of these microplastic particles were found on our coastline – especially in seaweed. Walkers were warned not to touch them, as nurdles act like tiny toxic sponges. Harmful substances such as pesticides and industrial chemicals adhere to their surface.

Nach dem Schiffsunglück fanden sich Mengen dieser Mikroplastikteilchen an unserer Küste – insbesondere im Seetang. Spaziergänger wurden gewarnt: nicht berühren! Denn Nurdles wirken wie winzige Gift-Schwämme. An ihrer Oberfläche haften Schadstoffe wie Pestizide und Industriechemikalien, die durch Wind, Wellen und Wetter über weite Strecken transportiert werden.

Nurdles Float is how they end up on beaches. 

According to estimates researched by Siri, around 11.5 million nurdles end up in the sea every year. The biggest nurdle disaster occurred in 2021, when the X-Press Pearl sank off the coast of Sri Lanka and 1,680 tonnes of these inconspicuous pellets washed up on beaches – a nightmare for humans, animals and the environment.

Schätzungen zufolge, recherchierte Siri, gelangen jährlich rund 11,5 Millionen Nurdles ins Meer. Die bislang größte Nurdle-Katastrophe ereignete sich 2021, als die X-Press Pearl vor der Küste Sri Lankas sank und 1.680 Tonnen dieser unscheinbaren Kügelchen an die Strände geschwemmt wurden – ein Albtraum für Mensch, Tier und Umwelt.

Composed of materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or other plastic types, nurdles not only pose a threat to marine life but also contribute to the larger issue of fossil fuel consumption. The creation of these pellets necessitates the use of fossil fuels, which further exacerbates the global warming crisis due to their greenhouse gas emissions.

Nurdles do not decompose. They are too small to be collected efficiently and too stable to be broken down by bacteria or sunlight. They are deadly to fish, birds and marine mammals – and risky to humans too. Studies suggest that ingested nurdles may be linked to serious illnesses such as colon and lung cancer.

Nurdles zersetzen sich nicht. Sie sind zu klein, um effizient eingesammelt zu werden, und zu stabil, um von Bakterien oder Sonnenlicht abgebaut zu werden. Für Fische, Vögel und Meeressäuger sind sie tödlich – und für uns Menschen auch gefährlich. Studien deuten darauf hin, dass aufgenommene Nurdles mit schweren Erkrankungen wie Dickdarm- und Lungenkrebs in Verbindung stehen könnten.

Sailing, boating and swimming are popular pastimes on our coast.

We all want clean water. We love our channel, where we can sail out to sea on clear water and swim without a care in the world.

Wir lieben unseren Kanal, auf dem wir auf klarem Wasser aufs Meer hinaussegeln und in dem wir bedenkenlos schwimmen können.

Stiffkey Cockles visiting Cley.

With love from our sunny coast

Mit lieben Grüßen von der sonnigen Küste

The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂



© text and illustrations, Hanne Siebers & Klausbernd Vollmar, Cley next the Sea, 2025

144 thoughts

    • Dear Pete

      It’s greed, isn’t it? Wherever we look, greed is the source of all disasters, isn’t it?

      Thank you, dear Pete. With love ❤ ❤ from the sunny sea

      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 4 people

    • Liebe Uschi

      Ich muss Hanne fragen, wenn sie von einem Fototermin der Kirche heimkommt. Sie fotografiert gerade eine Schweizerin aus New York, eine Jazz-Sängerin, die heute Abend hier auftritt.

      Ich glaube, dass eine Gruppe von Freiwilligen die meisten Nurdles an unseren Stränden aufsammelte und so ein größeres Desaster verhinderte.

      Mit lieben Grüßen nach Frankfurt
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Dear friends,
    How awful for you, your sea and marine life in the North Sea!
    Having said that, I must admit I silently applauded you for the title of this catastrophe. Small pearls and big disaster, indeed.
    Hanne, your outstanding photography makes the nurdles look arty and beautifully obscure.
    Have the nurdles been cleared off the beach now? What does the sea look like, can you swim?
    Take care.
    Kram Annalena x

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Annalena

      Yes, most of the nurdles are cleared off the beach now, and it is safe to swim again – well, we don’t swim in the sea now, it’s much too cold for us. Although you wouldn’t believe it, our air temperature reached nearly 25 degrees the other day. There are some elderly ladies here who swim all year round in the sea.

      There is a certain aesthetic of the disaster. It raises the question of to what extent can and should evil be aestheticised? That reminds me of Thomas de Quincey’s ideas about the murder considered as fine art. The dark side of romanticism …
      Thanks for liking Hanne’s pictures.

      Wishing you all the best
      KRAM ❤ ❤
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Oh dear, that’s tragic! This has not been quite so present in our media coverage, but I remember the accident. Where is this going to end!!
    Thank you for providing the link. What an eye-opener and fascinating photos, Hanne.
    I hope you are all well and that Klausbernd is gradually getting better at walking.
    Klem
    Per Magnus x

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Per Magnus

      Kb is getting better every day. He practises his exercises and has to rest regularly, but he can walk normally again.

      We were able to prevent the worst thanks to many volunteers who collected the Nurdles. Our beaches are more or less nurdle-free now.

      Thanks for your comment.
      KLEM
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Maggie

      We agree. Not only that much of the plastic is unnecessary – f.e. I now use a Norwegian wooden toothbrush – but it is also ugly. A reduction of plastic would help a lot.

      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Sue

      There is hardly any awareness of these nurdles. When we saw them at the beach, we thought they were fish eggs. It’s a pity that it always needs a catastrophe to make people aware of such pollution. The press is no help, although it would be its duty to enlighten the readers.

      We wish you a wonderful week
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. When I lived on a barrier Island off the coast of Texas our beaches were constantly assulted with plastics. We never had a nurdle wash up but tiny fragments of plastic were always present. Thank you for reporting this disaster. Perhaps folks who read it will take an interest in the plastic pollution of our oceans.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  14. What a mess! Like so much ‘news’ these days we are told the headlines but there is never any follow up story. Glad to read that the beach has been cleaned and how wonderful to see that the harbour at Cley is once again navigable. When I last visited it was clogged up with reeds etc

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Jude

      Unfortunately, Cley Harbour was clogged and silted. But some years ago, the Cley Harbour Committee started to dredge the channel. Now we can go by boat from ‘downtown Cley’ to the sea.

      Such a pollution problem is not dramatic enough for the media to get followed up.

      Thanks for your comment
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  15. What a shame. It’s bad enough plastics are everywhere (thank you petroleum industry 🤬) water bottles, packaging, microfiber and not to mention the microplastics we are all ingesting. Now one more thing to worry about the nurdles. 😡

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Joe

      The nurdles are a kind of microplastic because they are less than 5 mm big.

      Indeed, plastic is everywhere now. As it doesn’t decompose, we are soon drowning in plastic.

      Thanks for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  18. Oh nein wie furchtbar! Das tut mir so leid zu hören! Ich hatte keine Ahnung von Nurdles und es ist einfach fassungslos was der Mensch immer wieder auf‘s Neue anrichtet. Sehr traurig und erschütternd.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Liebe Annenie,

      habe herzlichen Dank für deinen Kommentar. Es ist erschreckend, was wir unserer Umwelt zumuten. In so einem Naturschutzgebiet wie dem unsrigen fällt es besonders auf.

      Mit besten Grüßen vom Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  20. Von Nurdles lese ich hier zum ersten Mal. Dass Mikroplastik zu einem Problem wurde, dass offensichtlich nicht mehr behoben werden kann, ist einfach furchtbar. Und leider, wie in vielen Kommentaren bereits erwähnt, scheinen wir Menschen nicht lernen zu wollen. Aber ich gebe die Hoffnung nicht auf, dass vielleicht eines schönen Tages doch noch die Vernunft sieht, auch wenn es dann für viele Leben in Flora und Fauna zu spät sein wird.

    Liebe Grüße zu euch,

    Elvira

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Wir hatten auch nie zuvor von nurdles gehört. Wir mussten erst einmal recherchieren, was das ist.

      Wir nehmen auch an, dass eines Tages die Vernunft siegen wird. Wir hoffen sehr, dass wir noch so lange Zeit haben.

      Mit herzlichen Grüßen vom Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  21. Fab Four of Cley,
    I never knew about these little plastic villain’s and how dangerous they are. I wonder if any are on our beach. I don’t head that way too often (it’s too crowded), but it might be interesting to find out.
    Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Stay healthy.
    GP

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear GP

      We suppose there are nurdles on your beach as well. Unfortunately, they are everywhere. Most people are not aware of them. If you haven’t heard of them you are very unlikely to see them.

      We are well and healthy again and hope the same from you.
      All the very best from
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  22. That’s a nightmare. When I was in the Army (French), an east-German tanker, the Bohlen, crashed on the Ile de Sein… My company was sent to “clean” the island… It was a big mess…

    Now those “pellets”? They will probably kill or poison thousands of birds and fish. Or millions?

    🙄

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • It’s a pity that the sea and its beaches are becoming increasingly polluted. As our coast is a big bird sanctuary, we are afraid that the sea birds will eat those nurdles and will not survive.

      Thanks and cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      We just googled the Böhlen shipwreck. There it was an oil slick which is also disastrous for the birds and other marine animals.

      Liked by 1 person

    • I seldom go to beaches now. (been there done that). But every time I go, even the “best” beaches are full of plastic micro particles.,
      I remember during the Bohlen spill, there were many birds spread with tar. We tried to save a few, but most if not all did not survive…
      Tschüß

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Margaret

      it’s a scandal that such shipwrecks pollute the sea more and more. Now the Russian captain of the Solong will be prosecuted, but that doesn’t really help. We don’t know if he was drank. He drove into a ship that was properly secured at anchor.

      Thank you
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Dear Marion

      You are very welcome.
      The pollution is that clearly seen here as our coast is usually an exceptionally clean nature reserve.

      Thanks
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Nurdles – who knew?! I’ve not read about them here in the U.S. but I have no doubt they are here. Plastic is everywhere. I’ve seen some images of the huge number of items that end up on formerly beautiful island shores. There was a time I think when people simply did not know of the long-term effects of modern convenience but that time has long passed. What are we willing to give up in order to truly make a difference?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Tina

      Before this wreckage, hardly anybody knew of nurdles here. And as one doesn’t know of it, one doesn’t see it. These nurdles are everywhere and like all the micro plastic their number is increasing.

      Indeed, your last question is the key to clean surroundings.

      All the very best to you
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  28. This is such an informative and sobering post. I had no idea what nurdles were before reading this—it’s shocking how something so small can cause so much environmental harm. Thank you for shedding light on this issue in such a clear and accessible way.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you very much for your kind words.

      As we live in one of the big British nature reserves, we see the effects of pollution especially well. On a clean coast pollution is obvious.

      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Tanja

      It’s sheer greed that lets us act like this. As Tina wrote, what are we willing to give up and help our surroundings?

      Keep well and healthy
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Post Scriptum

      There is a great poem from Bert Brecht’s play “The Good Person of Sezuan”

      Ein guter Mensch, wer wäre das nicht gern
      Doch leider sind auf diesem Stern
      Die Mittel kärglich und die Menschen roh
      Wer möchte nicht in Fried und Eintracht leben
      Doch die Verhältnisse die sind nicht so

      (Who wouldn’t want to be a good person
      But unfortunately on this star
      The means are meagre and the people are crude
      Who would not like to live in peace and harmony
      But the circumstances are not so)

      Liked by 4 people

    • Danke für das Gedicht. Ich stimme Brecht aber nur teilweise zu, denn für viele unter uns sind die Mittel nicht kärglich, und die Verhältnisse sind gut. Und trotzdem sind wir nicht damit zufrieden und wollen immer mehr. Und viele derjenigen, die besonders viel haben, wollen am meisten. Aber diese Gier hast Du ja bereits erwähnt.

      Das Konzept von “enoughness”, das ich in vor kurzem in einer Buchbesprechung erwähnt habe, wäre ein Schritt in die richtige Richtung, glaube ich wenigstens.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Liebe Tanja
      Ja, da gebe ich dir recht.
      Die Mittel sind eben sehr ungleich verteilt. Was eines der Probleme ist.
      Mit herzlichen Grüßen vom Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  31. I remember a brief report regarding this in our news in Australia but, with all the uglies happening in the world at the moment, had not heard of the aftermath! I am so glad you have posted – each one of us reading will talk to local friends – we have to know ere we make enough noise to repair matters – more and more I hope . . .

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Hi Eha

      We have to make people aware of what we are doing. Only people who know what they are doing can change. We absolutely agree.

      Thank you for commenting
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  33. 2017 auf Teneriffa fanden wir auch dort vollkommen versiffte Strände voller Plastikmüll, sehr kleine sowie auch sehr große Plastikteile überall am Strand. Ein notwendiges Umweltbewußtsein ist leider nicht allen Menschen gegeben, und so verkommt unser schöner Planet an vielen Orten zur reinen Müllhalde. Und dort auf Teneriffa werden auch immer noch ungeklärte Abwässer in den Atlantik geleitet in der Nähe der Hauptstadt Puerto de la Cruz. Jetzt ist der Hauptstrand dort so dermaßen mit Fäkelbakterien verseucht, dass er kürzlich für den Tourismus gesperrt werden musste. Eigentlich würde man von Ländern der EU langsam doch ein wirklich anderes Gebaren erwarten.

    Viele Grüße aus Berlin auf die große Insel

    Ulli

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hi Ulli

      Das ist ja genauso schocking wie die nurdles bei uns.

      Da wir ein großes Naturschutzgebiet sind für die Küste und den Meeresbereich, sind normaler Weise die Strände hier sehr sauber. Man findet wenig (sichtbaren) Plastikmüll, aber Mikroplastik gibt es hier wie in allen Weltmeeren auch.

      Mit herzlichen Grüßen vom sonnigen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Philip

      Thank you very much for your link. It’s the same here, a pristine environment gets polluted.

      Wishing you all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Steve

      We hadn’t heard the word “nurdle” before. We had to look it up too.

      Now we know. Thank you for sending this link.

      Keep well and happy
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Yes, it’s strange. In a way, ‘nurdle’ sounds like something sweet and small.

      Siri looked it up. This is what she found:

      Invented slang: It’s widely believed that “nurdle” is a piece of industry or informal slang that emerged within the plastic manufacturing community, likely because the word sounds small, round, and unthreatening.

      Word sound: Linguistically, “nurdle” may have been coined simply because it sounds like something small and round. The soft consonants and diminutive “-le” ending mirror other words like “twiddle,” “noodle,” or “kernel.”

      No standard etymology: Dictionaries like the Oxford English Dictionary don’t provide a definitive etymology for “nurdle” in this sense, which suggests it emerged informally and gradually entered broader use, especially in environmental and journalistic contexts.

      Thanks, dear Fraggle
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  38. Nurdles are also a major threat to marine life because they are often mistaken for food and can cause harm or death. The worst thing about them is that they never disappear completely but break down into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming microplastics that can contaminate the food chain. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Good afternoon, dear Amy,

      There we had our boat moored too. Now we go out with our canoes. That’s only a minute’s walk from our house.

      Thanks & cheers
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Lori

      Yes, that’s quite a disaster.

      This time we could clean our beaches because it wasn’t such a big amount. We hope there isn’t a next time.

      Thanks and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  44. This is an absolute tragedy. I weep for our world. While the pursuit of profit undoubtedly plays a role, consumer demand for lower prices also contributes significantly. Companies operate within a competitive market, and adhering to stringent environmental standards can increase production costs. To remain competitive and meet consumer expectations for affordability, some companies may be tempted to cut corners on environmental compliance. But of even more concern to me is how plastic has become incredibly important to modern life, providing a versatile and cost-effective material used in everything from packaging and construction to electronics and healthcare, enabling numerous conveniences and advancements.

    We must find ways to safeguard our world. As Selma says so well – nurdles “have no expiry date.”

    I am so sorry this event has happened and has marred your coastline. Thank you for this post – it is a cautionary tale that everyone should read.

    Sending much love and many hugs to our dear friends, The Fab Four of Cley.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Rebecca

      We live in a world of plastic. If you look around in your household, you’ll find plastic everywhere. The problem is that plastic stays with us forever. It gradually breaks down into smaller and smaller microplastics – but plastic remains plastic.

      Of course, a part of the problem is that we consumers want to buy everything as cheaply as possible.

      Thank you very much for your comment 🙏 🙏

      With lots of love ❤ and big hugs 🤗 to all of you
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dear Rebecca

      Yes, we do. Let’s hope that soon they find a solution for cleaning our oceans of microplastics.

      Thanks and all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  46. Removing and disposing of these nurdles sounds like an excellent project for some ambitious, enterprising person or company. I’m not a scientist, but you’d think somebody could come up with a plan to collect and dispose of these things. They’d probably make a fortune!! I agree that clean water — both for our generation and for those to come — should be a priority!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Debbie

      Our beaches are cleaned now. Volunteers from our coastal villages completed this task within two days.

      As far as we know, there are no ways yet to make money from cleaning the beaches.

      Thanks for your comment
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  48. Vielen Dank für diese Info, muss leider zugeben, dass der Begriff der Nurdles mir bisher völlig unbekannt war.
    Diese Mühle und den Kanal haben wir 2019 bei unserer Fahrt durch Norfolk kennengelernt als wir auf dem Weg nach Schottland waren. Hat uns sehr gut gefallen dort!

    Wünsche euch eine gute Zeit!
    Liebe Grüsse Karin

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Danke, liebe Karin,

      auch uns war der Begriff unbekannt. Siri hat ihn für uns nachgeschlagen und gegoogelt.

      Dann ward ihr ja an unserem Wohnort. Er wird als ‘chocolade-box village’ bezeichnet und bietet eine hohe Lebensqualität.

      Mit lieben Grüßen von Cley next the Sea
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Liebe Karin

      Ja, das tun wir wirklich. Und es ist nicht nur landschaftlich schön hier und architektonisch, hier wohnen auch nette Leute (nur etwas über 300). Viele andere Autoren und Medienleute. Wir sind voll zufrieden, hier zu leben. Das hat auch lange gedauert, bis wir den geeigneten Ort für uns fanden. In Montreal fanden wir es auch sehr angenehm, aber das war Großstadtleben, das Kb und Siri auch reizvoll finden. Dina und Selma dagegen sind richtige Landeier geworden. Sie lieben das Landleben hier.

      Mit lieben Grüßen vom kleinen Dorf am großen Meer
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Liebe Belana Hermine

      Danke für deinen Kommentar, dem wir zustimmen.
      Technologie ist sozusagen Herumdoktern am Symptom.

      Wir wünschen dir einen feinen Sonntag
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

    • Dear Vincenza

      Thank you very much.
      The beaches are all clean again thanks to the work og volunteers.

      All the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Like

  52. Though I have to admit what you make of the nurdles – in terms of photos – is really impressive. But certainly, plastics that take decades or more to decay are a catastrophe for any environment.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  53. What a heartbreaking yet vital read. The image of nurdles acting like tiny toxic sponges really struck me—it’s alarming how something so small can leave such a massive impact on marine life and our planet. Thank you for raising awareness about this urgent issue. Your storytelling and research are inspiring and deeply needed.

    From one storyteller to another, I’d love to invite you and your thoughtful readers to visit my blog, where I share tales of twin motherhood, healing, and small joys amidst the chaos:
    Twin Chaos & Toddler Giggles

    Welcome to Twin Chaos & Toddler Giggles!

    Let’s keep sharing, supporting, and speaking up for the future—together.
    Warm wishes from one coast to another,
    Diya

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Diya

      Thank you very much for your comment. The good news is that our beaches are cleaned now by a group of volunteers.
      We live in a childless village. That has to do with the age structure of the inhabitants here. It’s a pity, but a reality.

      We wish you all the best
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  54. I have never heard of Nurdles something to add to my naughty list-sigh…stunning photogtophy of the offending nurdles…It sounds like the clean-up has been successful thank goodness…but there is some light thanks to these two young people…There discovery sounds very promising…see below

    Seventeen-year-old innovators Victoria Ou and Justin Huang from Texas have developed a revolutionary ultrasonic microplastic removal device that eliminates up to 94% of microplastics from water. This cutting-edge water purification technology addresses the urgent global plastic pollution crisis and promises cleaner, safer drinking water for households and industries alike.

    Their breakthrough invention won the prestigious 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), earning them the Gordon E. Moore Award and a $50,000 prize. Using advanced ultrasonic waves, their eco-friendly solution offers an efficient and scalable method to fight microplastic contamination in water treatment systems worldwide..

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Dear Carol

      Thanks for letting us know about this cleaning device. If we understand correctly, this is about microplastics in the water. The nurdles seem to be too big, and you find them on the beaches.
      We cleaned our beaches in the old-fashioned way: Volunteers collected them by hand.

      Thanks for commenting.
      Wishing you a wonderful day
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  56. I’ve been reading quite a bit about microplastics, and the ways in which they are entering human bodies through cosmetics, packaging, and so on. I don’t remember reading a think about these nurdles; it seems as though they’re a different form of the same problem. The amount of trash that arrives on our coast, carried by currents from ships that dump their refuse far offshore, is considerable. I’m going to have to do some exploring and see if there’s evidence of nurdles here, as well. Even without shipping incidents, currents obviously can carry such things long distances.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Good morning, dear Linda

      The nurdles are the basic material used to manufacture plastic items. From their size, they are just microplastics.

      Our beaches are quite clean of bigger plastic items. They are now cleaned of the nurdles by volunteers.

      Wishing you a wonderful weekend
      The Fab Four of Cley
      🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  57. I haven’t seen nurdles before. It’s saddening to know many sea creatures are affected with this deadly elements. We always want clean and clear water, indeed, and we can help nature in small ways we can. I love the nature there, too, klausbernd.

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  59. Kunststoffe sind für Vieles anscheinend unersetzbar (na, wie ging das wohl früher?), für viele Anwendungen nützlich, praktisch. Und mal ehrlich: ich würde auch ungern sehen, dass der Arzt eine alte Glaspritze irgendwo rauszieht anstelle heutiger Einmalspritzen…

    Aber das galt und gilt auch für Asbest, für viel andere Dinge. Asbest hatte seine große Bedeutung da, wo es um große Hitze ging. Aber an vielen anderen Stellen war es nie notwendig. Dasselbe gilt für Kunststoffe. Angefangen bei der allgegenwärtigen Plastiktüte. (Kleiner Hinweis: Staaten wie Tansania schaffen es, derlei abzuschaffen. Aber nicht, wiederum nur ein Beispiel, ein Industrieland wie Deutschland… Man erkennt die Wertmaßstäbe einer Gesellschaft.)

    Die Reduzierung der Kunststoffe wäre ebenso wie die Reduzierung der Verbrennung des Rohstoffs (der wiederum für so viele Dinge wie eben Kunststoffe wertvoll wäre!) eine große Aufgabe. Wer geht sie an?

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