20 Oct 2023 --- The European Commission (EC) is proposing for the first time measures to prevent microplastic pollution from mass spillage of plastic pellets — also known as nurdles — throughout the plastics supply chain. Currently, between 52- 184,000 tons of pellets are released in the environment annually due to mishandling. A number of recent disasters, including mass spills in France and Sri Lanka, have brought the issue to international attention.
