Camber Sands
What’s the problem?
On 29 October 2025, during Storm Benjamin, up to 10 tonnes of plastic biobeads escaped from Southern Water’s Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works. A screening filter failed, allowing millions of beads to be pumped through a 3.4km outfall pipe into the sea.
The biobeads remained undetected for over a week before washing ashore, creating a continuous thick black line along the East Sussex coastline. Environmental groups have described it as one of the worst plastic pellet pollution incidents ever seen in the UK.
Ongoing Work
The cleanup is far from over. Biobeads could continue washing up on our coastline for a year or even longer, particularly following spring tides. We are committed to returning after each spring tide to remove as much pollution as possible.We are monitoring over 60 miles of coastline daily and working closely with Rother District Council, Southern Water, and environmental partners to protect this precious stretch of coast.
This incident is a stark reminder that even the smallest plastics can have devastating ecological consequences.
We won’t stop until Camber Sands is clean.
Camber Sands Beach
Camber Sands is one of England’s most beloved sandy beaches, located in East Sussex. It borders the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve – the largest site managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust – home to over 4,355 species of plants and animals, including 300 that are rare or endangered.
Unfortunately, the beach’s geography makes it a collecting hotspot for pollution. Previous bio bead incidents occurred here in 2010 and 2017. This time, the scale was devastating – bio beads were EVERYWHERE, spreading across 60 miles of coastline from Eastbourne to St Mary’s Bay in Kent.
What Are Bio Beads?
Bio beads are small plastic pellets, approximately 5mm wide, used in wastewater treatment.
They have a rough, dimpled surface that allows bacteria to grow and remove contaminants from water.Because they’ve been used in sewage treatment, these pellets can be riddled with toxic pollutants. Research shows microplastics like these absorb chemical toxins from seawater at concentrations thousands of times higher than background water levels.
Birds and marine animals easily mistake these pellets for food – they’re the same size as fish eggs. Once ingested, animals struggle to expel them and may die of starvation or from the effects of the toxins they contain.
What Are We Doing About It?
After biobeads were first discovered at Camber on 4 November 2025, Rother District Council commissioned us to conduct a specialised microplastic cleanup.
Our team arrived with our specialist vacuum equipment – designed to carefully remove plastic pellets from sand and seaweed without disturbing the fragile beach environment. We spent five days on our initial cleanup operation, working alongside council officers, Southern Water contractors, and an incredible team of community volunteers.
Our equipment is most effective following spring tides, when beads are washed further up the beach and easier to recover. We returned after the spring tide in early December and will continue to return after each spring tide over the coming weeks and months.
The Difference We Have Made
Thanks to the combined efforts of our team, Rother District Council, Southern Water staff, and hundreds of volunteers, around 80% of the biobeads initially deposited on the beach have been removed.
Over 660 Southern Water staff and contractors have joined the cleanup alongside our specialist equipment. The operation has been described as a “race against time” to protect the fragile ecosystems at Camber Sands and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.
Southern Water is now funding three new Nurdle machines – high-powered vacuum and sorting equipment – for longer-term beach cleaning. These will be ready in early 2025 and will help us tackle sensitive areas along the coastline.
Ongoing Work
The cleanup is far from over. Biobeads could continue washing up on our coastline for a year or even longer, particularly following spring tides. We are committed to returning after each spring tide to remove as much pollution as possible.We are monitoring over 60 miles of coastline daily and working closely with Rother District Council, Southern Water, and environmental partners to protect this precious stretch of coast.
This incident is a stark reminder that even the smallest plastics can have devastating ecological consequences. We won’t stop until Camber Sands is clean.