Fair Go: Wellington woman challenges local councils to do more about menace of plastic nurdles

More than eight million tons of discarded plastic ends up in our oceans every single year and no one seems to know who’s responsible for cleaning it up. Source: Fair Go

By day, Lorraine Shaab works at a Wellington supermarket. She has done for years. But come the evening, or weekend, her role changes. She's a persistent and tireless campaigner for cleaner beaches.

It was her son who inspired her. As a young boy he'd spend ages building sandcastles and marvelling at the whales and dolphins spotted off Wellington's shores.

Shaab realised that all of this was at risk from the growing presence of nurdles.

These are tiny pieces of plastic that are melted down to make just about every plastic item we use.

The trouble is, lots of nurdles escape from factory premises or during transport and end up on our beaches.

They get ingested by sea birds and fish, heading up the food chain so that traces of plastic will be eaten by all sorts of wildlife, and humans too.

Shaab first tried to tackle the problem by confronting plastic manufacturers in Wellington, having spotted spills of nurdles outside some factories.

She asked them what they were doing about it but says "they were very defensive. They believed they had very good practices in place".

More than eight million tons of discarded plastic ends up in our oceans every single year and no one seems to know who’s responsible for cleaning it up. Source: Fair Go

It's true that the industry is part of the international programme Operation Cleansweep that's designed to prevent nurdles entering the marine environment.

It's also true that 67 companies that are members of Plastics New Zealand have had their sites audited.

But Shaab isn't satisfied, especially given that more than a year later, she says Evans Bay beach in Wellington is "still riddled with granules".

Shaab and friends from Sea Shepherd spend hours cleaning up the nurdles themselves.

She knows many other volunteer groups do too. It can often seem a thankless task. Despite the hundreds of kilos they remove, more still appear.

"Evans Bay is literally a plastic beach," she told Fair Go.

Last year alone, they removed some 300 tonnes which Shaab says is equivalent to about 60,000 plastic bags.

Since then, Wellington City Council have begun work on a walking and cycle track around this bay.

The council has taken into account that this area is the home of the kororā, little blue penguins, by putting in measures like nesting boxes and signs warning dog owners.

But Shaab says nothing has been done about the problem of nurdles and other plastic rubbish.

She told Fair Go "it breaks my heart to see what their home looks like ...the council knows the problem's over there but won't tick the box and clean it up".

So Shaab wanted Fair Go to help confront the councils to get action on behalf of the kororā, whose number is in decline in New Zealand.

She knows that under the Resource Management Act, regional councils are responsible for identifying nurdle spills.

Shaab also knows that the Litter Act (1979) gives local government power to prosecute serious offences.

But she's not aware of any prosecutions, whereas she's very aware of the continuing pollution nurdles cause.

So Shaab wants to know what's happening to clear up all the nurdles on the beach now?

Fair Go set up meetings for Shaab who went armed with boxes of nurdles to make her point.

The WCC's open space and parks manager Myfanwy Emeny said "it's everyone's responsibility".

Shaab countered that while she appreciates the bags and gloves provided by the council, it leaves her feeling that "it's up to idiots like us to clean the beach".

Shaab is frustrated that the council's happy to spend over $8 million at Oriental Parade to bring sand in to make it nice for beachgoers "but won't spend a penny [at Evans Bay] cleaning the beach of nurdles and that gets me really upset".

When asked about this, Emeny said the best advice she had to offer would be for Shaab to get help to seek more resources.

"We do actually have a pot of council funding, so my strongest recommendation would be to apply for that."

This means more money to invest in bins designed for sieving nurdles, but again requires time and energy from volunteers like Shaab.

What she'd like to see is direct commitment for the council itself to act.

It wasn't much more promising from Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC).

When Shaab asked environment partnership leader Al Cross if they were doing enough, he said "well, people might say probably not",  but that this is something that could "be driven by interest from our own council .... to invest ratepayers' money in that work."

"We don't currently undertake that type of clean up activity."

He says there are so many conflicting calls for funding that it's hard to set money aside for this, adding that a mandate from Government would help enormously.

"A conversation with Government is important because it's not just a local issue, it's nationwide and in fact it's a problem globally."

So Fair Go approached the Government, speaking with the former Associate Minister for the Environment (waste) Eugenie Sage.

Looking ahead, she says $12 million is being invested in nurdle spill research with the aim of preventing this problem in the future, but as for the here and now, the responsibility was shifted once again

"It's primarily manufacturers, the transport people and the industry .. then of course regional councils who are responsible for enforcing the RMA."

Fair Go explained that this sounded like the Government was dodging responsibility as the GWRC thought it was up to the Government to provide direction but the minister said "no, its not passing the buck ... a simple regulation won't stop spills".

Sage did pile the praise on Shaab for keeping the topic in the spotlight and while she appreciates the recognition, what she really wants is action.

Shaab feels with Fair Go's help at least the issue is now back in the pubic arena and hopes that will help.

"They can't put their heads in the sand and forget about it now."

Until then, she's not giving up.

"Lucky I'm stubborn, I'll keep at it."

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