MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Nurdles, about the size of lentils, are again washing up on beaches in and near Mossel Bay.
These plastic pellets are used in the manufacturing of plastic products for everyday use, such as plastic bottles, packaging materials, and the like.
Nurdles weigh approximately 20 milligrams and come in a variety of densities. They pose a danger to marine life.
The latest spill is of concern as the nurdles never dissolve nor disintegrate completely. Marine animals mistakenly regard the nurdles as food, leading to starvation when they ingest them.
Mossel Bay Municipality urges locals to be vigilant and to remove these nurdles from our beaches.
However, please do not dispose of the nurdles in the normal household waste as the nurdles may also pose a danger to scavenging animals at the landfill site.
Instead, contact the nearest conservancy or Stranded Marine Animal Rescue Team (S.M.A.R.T. - 072 227 4715) representative in your area to dispose of the nurdles safely.
Nurdles may also be dropped off in a special bin provided by the De Dekke Spar in Great Brak River, or be disposed of in the bins at the ablution facilities at the various beaches.
Mossel Bay Municipality will then collect the nurdles from these bins and dispose of them correctly.
"I thank our community for being concerned about the environment and for taking the time to remove these nurdles from our beaches. I appreciate the painstakingly hard work entailed in removing the nurdles.
"Your dedicated effort is what makes Mossel Bay great," the acting mayor, Alderman Dirk Kotzé said in response to conservation efforts to remove the debris from our pristine beaches.
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