Billion plastic pellets spilled into UK river after two ships collide

Up to 25 tonnes of nurdles, the raw material for plastic manufacturing, have spread further than initially feared

Approximately a billion tiny plastic nurdles have entered the River Tyne after a “devastating spill”, with the pellets thought to have spread much further than first thought.

Nurdles are tiny pellets, usually about 1-5mm in size, that act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products.