Plastic pollution and failed global treaty: Nurdles, Kerala spill, and the plastics crisis

In this Science Weekly episode, The Guardian reports on nurdles from the MSC Elsa 3 sinking off Kerala, revealing how tiny plastic pellets invade beaches, water, and marine life. The piece connects the Kerala disaster to wider plastic pollution, its health and ecological risks, and the stalled UN negotiations in Geneva toward a binding global treaty. It highlights the vulnerability of coastal communities and fisheries, the persistence of microplastics in the environment, and the political obstacles posed by fossil-fuel interests in shaping international policy.

Overview and the nurdle crisis

The episode centers on nurdles, tiny plastic pellets that are the building blocks of many plastic products, and which began washing ashore after the Liberian-flagged MSC Elsa 3 container ship capsized off Kerala, India. Volunteers collected nurdles in bags along storm-lashed beaches, while experts warn that these buoyant pellets will circulate for years, embedding themselves in sand and sea and threatening wildlife and livelihoods. As one fishworker described, the pollution has disrupted local life far beyond the immediate spill, highlighting the broader reach of plastic pollution into coastal economies.

"Nurdles are small fragments of plastic, they're about lentil size, and they're sometimes called mermaids tears. They're basically the building blocks of most of the plastic products that we use." - Karen McVeigh, Guardian journalist

Health and ecological risks of nurdles

The report details how nurdles act as toxic sponges, attracting persistent chemicals like PCBs and PFAs and becoming rafting platforms for bacteria. They can be mistaken for food by fish, shrimp, and seabirds, complicating food chains and potentially impacting human health through seafood consumption. The expert estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of tonnes of nurdles enter the environment yearly, with losses mostly on land but rising threats at sea due to more intense storms and growing plastic production.

"They attract forever chemicals such as PCBs and PFAs in seawater onto their surfaces, and they can also act as rafts for carrying harmful bacteria such as E. coli. So, these pellets introduce a cocktail of toxins directly into the food web." - Guardian interview excerpt

Policy gaps and the call for global rules

The piece points to a broader political issue: there are no binding international rules on how nurdles are packaged or transported, leaving countries to deal with spills after the fact. Lawyers for the Environmental Investigation Agency argue that most spills are preventable with better handling, storage, and accountability, but current treaties focus on waste rather than production and transport. The Guardian emphasizes this as a microcosm of the wider plastics problem, where unilateral action by some states cannot fully shield others from the consequences of global production and trade in plastics.

"There are no international agreements on how to package and transport nurdles currently exist. It reflects our wider problem with plastics." - Environmental Investigation Agency lawyer

UN talks in Geneva: a stalled pathway to a treaty

The podcast shifts to the international stage, detailing a 10-day round of UN negotiations with roughly 184 member states participating, aiming for a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution. Despite high ambitions from many countries, oil- and gas-producing nations and their allies blocked efforts to curb plastic production in addition to waste, resulting in a deadlock after 11 nights. The discussion underscores a tension between environmental goals and fossil-fuel interests, with voices from small island states and France expressing disappointment and concern about a lack of multilateral progress.

"Why can't these states get together and agree to looking at plastic production, because they must know that their coats on a shaky peg... the time is up and that the science is kind of overwhelming." - Karen McVeigh

Case studies: Kerala and Express Pearl

While Kerala works to respond to the spill, the Express Pearl disaster in 2021 highlighted the cascading risks of plastic and chemical pollutants at sea, including heavy fuel oil and caustic substances. Sri Lanka’s courts have since recognized the environmental devastation and ordered compensation, but nurdles remain washing ashore hundreds of miles away, illustrating the transboundary nature of plastic pollution and the disproportionate impact on coastal communities with limited resources to cope with disasters.

"The coastal communities that are cleaning up... have to shoulder the burden of a preventable spill that traveled far beyond its origin." - Guardian correspondent

What happens next and why it matters

The episode closes with a reflection on the need for credible, enforceable rules covering the entire life cycle of plastics. It notes that more than 100 countries want to cooperate, but consensus is hard to achieve when economic incentives favor production and export of plastics. The reporter calls for continued advocacy and leadership, underscoring that the failure of Geneva does not end the story: scientific understanding and public pressure may still push for stronger global governance of plastic pollution.

"Having covered stories like the Nerdle spills... I asked Karen how she felt. It feels very like, why can't these states get together and agree to looking at plastic production... the time is up and that the science is overwhelming." - Guardian interview