International Plastic Pellet Count

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC PELLET COUNT?

The jointly-sponsored International Plastic Pellet Count is a global day of action and month-long effort each May, where volunteers around the world search for plastic pellets on riverbanks, lakeshores, and beaches.

Participants record what they find to build a clearer picture of pollution that is often invisible, unregulated, and underreported. That information is then used to inform our fights for strong policies, regulations, and accountability for corporate polluters.

LATEST NUMBERS: 734,147 and counting. That’s the number of plastic pellets that 747 volunteers across the United States and four countries have reported so far for the 2026 Pellet Count. Eleven local Waterkeeper groups documented nearly 98% of that total, including 715,000 pellets found in just 10 minutes by San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper (read more here) during the first weekend.

Real change takes people, persistence, and proof of pollution. The counts are continuing throughout throughout May so check back regularly for the latest updates.

There’s still time to get involved. Learn more below and sign up for a count today!

WHAT ARE PLASTIC PELLETS?

Plastic pellets, also known as nurdles, are the raw material used to make many familiar plastic products like water bottles, grocery bags, drinking straws, and food containers. During manufacturing and transport, they are frequently spilled, leaked, or dumped into the environment, especially in our waterways. As a result, an estimated 10 trillion plastic pellets enter our oceans each year.

 

In waterways, plastic pellets can travel long distances through rivers and currents, making them hard to clean up and nearly impossible to track. In the environment, they can harm fish, birds, and other wildlife when mistaken for food, filling their stomachs with plastic and leading to starvation.

The pellets can also absorb harmful chemicals like DDT, PCBs, and mercury.

Over time, these pellets break down into even smaller particles called microplastics, which have been found in the human body, including in blood and the lungs. While scientists are still studying the effects, early research suggests they may be linked to health concerns such as inflammation and heart problems.

For local Waterkeeper groups and communities working to protect local rivers, bays, and estuaries, pellet pollution represents a persistent and preventable source of plastic contamination.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

• Pellet counts are quick and easy—most take just 10 minutes. Head out to your nearby rivers, streams, wetlands, or beaches on your own, with friends and family, or with others in your community.
• Not sure where to look or what to look for? Our partners at Nurdle Patrol have created this map showing where pellets have been found, along with a short training video to get you started.
• When you’re finished, submit your data here.
• Prefer to join others? Register your event and/or find a pellet count happening in your community on the map below.
• We’ve also created a more detailed guidance document to assist with your efforts. Happy hunting!

 

ACT LOCALLY, THINK GLOBALLY

Our first Pellet Count, held in May 2025, revealed widespread plastic pellet pollution across every region surveyed. Nearly 50,000 plastic pellets were collected in a short sampling period across 229 sites in 14 countries and 29 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Pellets were found in rivers, bays, estuaries, and coastal areas, often in high concentrations.

In 2025, 35 local Waterkeeper groups across 14 countries worked with community volunteers to document the scale of plastic pellet pollution in waterways worldwide. The findings showed that this pollution is widespread, persistent, and often concentrated near production and transport sites.

In Point Comfort, Texas, San Antonio Bay Estuarine Waterkeeper, Diane Wilson, collected 18,348 pellets in just 10 minutes!

“I have been tracking plastic pellets from Formosa Plastics, in Texas since at least 2008. After our lawsuit in 2019, we have been trying to clean up the plastic in the creek where Formosa has 10 stormwater outfalls. The clean-up has been a three-year project with over 3,000 truckloads of pellet debris removed. Sometimes, they have had to excavate 36 inches down to remove impacted pellets in the soil. It will cost $50 million to complete. This is where I counted 18,000 plus pellets in ten minutes.” — Diane Wilson

This data exists because people like Diane showed up. Now it’s your turn. Find your local Waterkeeper, learn about their work, and discover how you can take action to protect your local waterways. You can get involved through pellet counts, cleanups, and fun community events like this first-ever Nurdle Cup hosted by Port Phillip Baykeeper in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

As Port Phillip Baykeeper Neil Blake says, “Pick up the broom!”

Video courtesy of Port Phillip Baykeeper.