Newcastle Upon Tyne · July 2026
PORT OF TYNE PELLET SPILL RESPONSE
On 19 July 2026, the Wind Orca collided with the container ship BG Orange at the Port of Tyne, spilling an estimated 25 tonnes of tiny plastic pellets into the water. The pellets aren't directly harmful to people, but they readily absorb pollutants and chemicals from seawater. Birds, fish and other wildlife often mistake them for food, which can cause injury and death.
Nurdle was deployed immediately and has spent the past two months clearing the beaches of North and South Tyneside. This is exactly what we exist for.
Our team hit the ground running. Within 4 days we were covering the high tide marks of multiple beaches a day, recovering over 93% of the pellets with a single pass. The goal from day one was to clear the high tide marks of three beaches every day, pushing further north as more kit and team members arrived. With the whole team together, we were soon working across Sandhaven, South Groyne, Little Haven, Long Sands and beyond.
While in the North East, we also unveiled our newest machine, the Microplastic Screener. It is 25% bigger than the original, with a brand new conveyor system that processes more material, faster. The next phase of operations will be faster, more powerful and more effective than anything we have deployed before.
Community Made
MESH BAGS
Within the first week, the community reached out to us wanting to know how they could help. We gave them our Nurdle bags to copy, and they made over 400 of them.
If you'd like to make your own or buy them, watch the video below.
Watch the videoThe Public Stepped In
THE COMMUNITY
What has happened in Newcastle and South Shields has been extraordinary. Thousands of local people turned out on their own to help, filling hundreds of bags with pellets and working alongside our team across North and South Tyneside.
We have recorded the weight of every pellet collected by the public, so every kilogram is counted. The response has been a powerful reminder of what people can achieve when they come together for something that matters.
Photo: Leah Pattem