Microplastics are a type of marine debris that is becoming increasingly apparent on our beaches. Defined as small plastic pieces or fibers that are less than 5mm in size, microplastics may look at first like sand or other natural materials… until you look closely.

Primary microplastics are made to be small. For example, round pre-production pellets known as nurdles are made so that plastic material can be transported and then melted down and used to create larger plastic items. Unfortunately, accidental spills of nurdles mean that many of these pellets end up in the ocean environment.