On May 3, 2025, join Charleston Waterkeeper, Charleston Surfrider, and Coastal Conservation League at the first annual International Plastic Pellet Count! Sign up below to join our teams in North Charleston or Downtown Charleston.
Sign up for Downtown Charleston here
Sign up for North Charleston here
Plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are typically less than 5 mm in size, and they’re the raw material that’s used to make familiar plastic products like water bottles, grocery bags and polystyrene foam. These tiny plastics are frequently spilled, leaked or dumped into the environment, especially our waterways, during manufacturing and transport. As a result, they frequently wash up on riverbanks, lakeshores and beaches.
To illustrate the magnitude of the problem, volunteers across America and beyond will be hosting plastic pellet counts and clean up events at their local waterways to help identify where plastic pellet pollution is happening and make the case for action.
Let the hunt begin!