HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) — Advocates from Environment Virginia are bringing awareness to the trillions of plastic pellets that enter waterways every year.
The pellets, called nurdles, are the building blocks of plastic products, from Frisbees to car bumpers. Environment Virginia said over 10 trillion nurdles enter the ocean every year. They’re often littered during the manufacturing or shipping process.
Today, the group searched for nurdles on the shores of the James River in Hopewell, across the river from what State Director Elly Wilson said is a manufacturer of the pellets. The group kept track of what they found, and Wilson said that data will be shared on a global database called nurdlepatrol.org.…