World's First Standard To Tackle Plastic Pellet Pollution

Collaboration to Create a New PAS Standard

One source of plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans could be dramatically reduced with the help of a new, official standard drawn up by the British Standards Institute (BSI) and sponsored by The British Plastics Federation, Marine Scotland (Scottish Government), and nine institutional investors co-ordinated by the Investor Forum, represented by conservation charity Fauna & Flora International (FFI).

A Consistent Approach to the Containment of Plastic Pellets

The result of this broad collaboration is “Publicly Available Specification 510:2021”, which establishes a robust, standardized and consistent approach to risk management and the containment of pellets. PAS 510 can be used directly by auditors to assess the compliance of a site or operation that handles pellets as part of existing audits. PAS 510 will be free to access and use by global businesses of any size and in any location.  

The new standard is intended to prevent spills of plastic pellets, powders and flakes, which are the raw material used to make plastic products. These are commonly known as plastic pellets or ‘nurdles’.

Access a technical sheet on the standard here

Plastic pellet spills can occur whenever these materials are handled along the supply chain, from production and manufacturing processes to transport, shipping and storage. If spills are not prevented, contained or cleaned up properly then pellets can enter drains and ultimately end up in waterways, rivers and oceans.

Because they are less than 5mm in length, pellets are classified as ‘primary’ microplastics, alongside plastic microbeads that are sometimes added to toiletries (now banned in the UK), microfibers shed from synthetic textiles, fishing nets, tyres, as well as paint from road markings and coatings on marine vessels. In contrast, ‘secondary’ microplastics are those that have broken down from larger plastic items. Once in the environment, microplastics can be mistaken for food by a range of animals including fish and seabirds and are known to cause them harm. 

Read the full press release here

The Role of Operation Clean Sweep

The new standard builds upon and complements the groundwork laid by Operation Clean Sweep® [1] (‘OCS’), which is a voluntary, industry-led international initiative, coordinated by the BPF in the UK.  OCS’s existing comprehensive guidance material, tools and resources can be used to inform compliance with the PAS.

Where Can I Access The Standard?

Access the full standard from the BSI here