Updates

It's tricky making predictions. Here's what we do know.

It’s the first big northerly swell coming in since the nurdles were spilled through Saturday. And dropping off on Sunday eve/Monday.

Winds flip offshore on Saturday.

What this might mean for nurdles

Prediction wise, not sure.

Will this bigger swell churn up and bring nurdles?

We don’t know, it’s not massive but it’s the most significant we’ve had.

Northerly though too, so would be interesting to see where it sends those nurdles that are out at sea too.

Next week

Interestingly looks like Monday brings some south easterly winds which brought nurdles to the north end of beaches before.

Here's what we know about conditions this week.

As we learned last week this is not an exact science. Here's a sense of what to expect this week.

Tides and Wind

Smaller tides on Tuesday and Wednesday with light to moderate offshore winds and a small swell.

It's early days for nurdle forecasting... the prediction is this won’t bring huge amounts of nurdles to our beaches.

End of the week

Current forecast: by Thursday a stronger northerly wind arrives bringing with it slightly bigger swell (waves).

The southern end of the larger North East facing beaches such as Longsands, Whitley Bay, Seaton Sluice, Cambois & Roker may see an increase in nurdles (They all have an element of north facing that will pick up this swell/wind).

We need volunteers urgently to join the North East Nurdle Clean-Up this weekend, just after the High Tides morning and evening. The Spring Tides are expected to bring more nurdles higher up our beaches.

Let's grab them while we can!

Where

The Fish Quay beach in North Shields is a priority, but all beaches welcome nurdle volunteers.

When

What to bring

Gloves, buckets, dustpan + brush if you can. Equipment is also available to use at the beaches.

Is there an end?!

We have it under good authority that the sense of urgency and the need for ‘two tidal sessions a day’ cleans will end on Monday as the tides switch. Instead there will be a need for weekly cleans for those that are able to support and continued individual collecting.

Sadly this does not mean the situation will go away it means that we will have these nurdles in our world for a long time to come but we have done our absolute best. Where others that are paid to act and failed this community has shown exceptional initiative, passion, creativity, leadership, skills, resilience - we’ve thrown the kitchen sink at it and we cannot be disheartened by that. Ever.

By Monday the expectation is that the groups that have formed within this near 2000 person strong WhatsApp Community - (and what fun we’ve had 🤝🙌🤯😅☹️⚡️😮‍💨😫😥) will be supported in splitting into their own sub groups - hopefully with an umbrella overview to support and continue pursing policy change and holding those in positions of responsibility accountable.

⚡️We have one final push ⚡️

I would like us to focus our attention also to the Port of Tyne specifically. According to the BBC It took three days to acknowledge the spill. It took a further two days - to get acting. Where fast acting efforts could have been made, our river, our seas, beaches and wild life were failed.

Not only this but there are STILL thousands of nurdles in the river despite voluntary efforts being made to step up, they have been asked instead to step down by the Port of Tyne.

The nurdles that are in the river can easily be collected - they are floating. We have it on good authority that they can be collected if given the chance to step in.

⚡️Sign the community open letter ⚡️

Urgently sign our Open Letter written on behalf of this community addressed to the Port of Tyne demanding that they allow trained volunteers into the river to do their job and clean the nurdles from the source.

YOU ARE ALL NORTH EAST LEGENDS

If you can't Nurdle but can report back from these locations, especially the ones with fewer people with a rough nurdle count that's great. Use general channel or the specific channel for that beach.

I know many residents are deeply concerned about the environmental incident affecting our coastline following the collision of two ships at the Port of Tyne, which resulted in the release of millions of plastic pellets into the River Tyne.

I wanted to update you on what has happened so far.

I will continue to monitor the situation closely, press for a thorough clean-up of affected areas, and keep constituents informed as further information becomes available. Protecting our coastline and ensuring accountability for environmental damage remain my priorities.

Suggested following times we are using as a guideline. This can be applied to all beaches, rocky inlets etc. you can come before or after, just come 🙏

This is community led: see the ‘group description’ for your beach and in ‘general’ for FAQs, guidelines, equipment to use and what to expect.

Longsands at the High Tide Line starting from Crusoe’s to clear nurdle plastic pollution from our beaches and everyone in Tynemouth has a part to play.

More teams are being assembled and will branch off to other beaches, so watch out for information including Monday afternoon after the second high tide.

So, if you have some time to spare before work, please come down. Don't expect perfection, but do come and help.

A few do's and don'ts:

This is not a small problem. The effects are long term and will be reduced by prompt action.

The insurers have not brought enough resources to bear early enough, and there's nothing we can do about that. Nurdles that embed into the beaches will break down into microplastics over decades.

We will likely experience a sustained period of this material coming ashore. There is still a substantial amount in the Tyne and the sea which will come out in waves as the tides move. Even after the first stage of this ends, storms will bring it back several times over the coming years.

We are still in the short window where volunteers will make a difference. Please consider helping.

Longsands Beach — volunteer times

We are asking that volunteers head to Longsands Beach at the following times.

We have equipment to distribute and techniques to share that can then be taken to the other beaches accordingly.

Please vote for the time(s) you can make in the General WhatsApp group poll.