Following the disastrous spillage of plastic ‘nurdles’ caused by a collision between two vessels in the Port of Tyne this month, the overwhelming community involvement in the clean-up operation has been visible all along our coastline. But the effort is not just being made on the beaches – there is much work going on behind the scenes to coordinate the operation, not least by the handy folk who have been frantically creating the specially made mesh bags that make sifting the nurdles from the sand so much easier.
Councillor Tom Bailey organised the creation of the first 70 mesh bags during his initial initiative to help coordinate the clean-up, 22 of which were made by 1st For Fabrics with a pattern that was passed around. Then local life coach, Lou Shackleton saw Tom’s post asking for help: “On Sunday I joined a WhatsApp group, on Monday morning, I agreed to sew some bags and another local volunteer, Jen, dropped some fabric off. By the end of the day it was clear we needed more fabric so Jen and I helped source some more. Then the requests kept coming in. By Tuesday, my front garden, once a place of family chill time, was the heart of a distribution hub. By Wednesday, I was overseeing manufacturing – all from my own homesofa! The community in this region has been incredible. I can’t believe we got to 500 handmade bags in six days. I’m so proud of everyone that has taken part.”
Jen Stobbs, from Seaton Sluice, has received generous donations of materials to help make the essential net bags: “We’ve received two rolls of scaffolding nets from Baldwin Scaffolding as well as used mesh from Cowell’s Garden Centre. I’ve made about 70 bags so far which will also eventually get reused by Nurdle UK for future beach cleanups.” ScaffsUK have also generously donated materials to help the cause.
Sewing machinist and nurdler Jess explains: “The bags have become an essential tool. They’re designed to let the sand fall through while trapping the tiny plastic nurdles, making the process much faster and more effective. Every bag represents someone’s time, skill and generosity, and together we’ve been able to help hundreds of local volunteers clean up our coastline.”
One sixth form student’s mum, who has not been able to get to the beach much due to work, was pleased by her family’s collective response to the crisis: “My son was suffering with mental health. He had no joy for any extra curricular activities, wasting his days but unable to find motivation to do anything. Then I suggested he make the bags and it’s given him drive and purpose.” Volunteer sewing machinist Sandra highlights the challenges of bag-making: “Our poor sewing machines sometimes don’t like the fabric and you end up re-threading umpteen times until you can get it right. But we’re delighted to play our part.”
Hayley has appreciated being able to contribute: “My limited mobility means I can’t help on the beaches as much as I would like to, but I’ve still been able to support other volunteers by sewing at home. Being part of such an amazing community movement feels very special to me and I’m thankful I’ve had the opportunity to be involved.”
As well as supplying the ‘stichineers’ with enough materials to keep making and innovating, Lou will continue to ensure people on the beaches have what they need to filter and sieve for as long as necessary: “These nurdles are going to be with us for a long time, so we’re surfacing some of the problems that people are experiencing in different contexts on the beach. For example, when nurdles are mixed with lots of seaweed or rocks or when the sand is really damp.” The nurdlers continue to respond and adapt to these different challenges over the coming months. “We’re experimenting more with different materials in different contexts and I can’t wait to see what impact that can have to people doing really physical work on the ground. Even when the machines come, there is still going to be a need for committed people on the beaches with a mesh bag or a teaspoon or a sieve.”
A positive outcome of the nurdle crisis has certainly been the united response, the cooperation of all involved and the lasting friendships that have been made. Instead of delivering fabric, Jen dropped off some pastries at Lou’s house the other day: “That’s a friend for life in my book!” Now that they have come together, the local volunteers won’t be dispersing any time soon. Volunteer Donna sums it up: “I have loved the coming together of the community, reliability and loyalty to the cause! The drive and sense of purpose it’s given me, I am sure everyone else feels the same-we all want the same thing – NO MORE NURDLES!”
There are many ways to help. Find out more here: https://nurdle-hub-ne.vercel.app/how-to-clean
