Mermaid’s tears: How tiny plastic pellets are flooding the environment

Mermaid’s tears: How tiny plastic pellets are flooding the environment

Explainer

Environment

Lentil-sized and toxic, industrial plastic pellets known as "nurdles" – or "mermaid's tears" – are the second-largest source of microplastic pollution worldwide, with hundreds of thousands of tonnes leaked into the environment each year. As UN negotiations on curbing plastic pollution in Geneva enter their final hours, experts warn that efforts to halt their spread may fall short.