Home / Environment / Beach Clean-Up Resumes After Pellet Spill
Beach Clean-Up Resumes After Pellet Spill
19 Sep
Summary
- Plastic pellets from a 2025 spill continue to litter East Sussex beaches.
- A major clean-up operation involves multiple organizations.
- Beach access remains, but visitors should avoid pellets.
A crucial operation to remove plastic pellets from East Sussex beaches will restart next month after a summer pause. Millions of pellets, identified as biobeads, were discovered along Camber Sands, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, and St Mary's Bay after a spill from a Southern Water treatment works in Eastbourne during October 2025.
Since November of the previous year, a collaborative clean-up initiative has been underway. This effort brings together Rother District Council, the Environment Agency, Southern Water, and the non-profit organization Nurdle. Their work aims to address the widespread plastic pollution.
While a substantial portion of the pellets has been successfully retrieved from the affected beaches, the council confirmed that some still persist. Public access to the beach is permitted, however, residents are strongly cautioned against touching or collecting the pellets. Furthermore, vigilance is urged to prevent ingestion by children and pets.
The intensified clean-up operation is officially slated to resume on 5 October.
