New beach cleaning device to be named in honour of Purbeck woman who has removed over half a million nurdles from Swanage beach!
A simple but highly effective device to remove pesky microplastics from Dorset beaches has been launched by Litter Free Coast and Sea and Litter-free Purbeck on Swanage South Beach on Tuesday, 2nd July.
The trommel machine has been unveiled as part of a surprise tribute to Purbeck woman, Mary Dwen, who has spent thousands of hours over ten years or more sifting nurdles, pre-production pellets, from the sands of Swanage beach using nothing more than a tea strainer, in order to protect coastal and marine wildlife from starving or choking on these and other small plastics.
Representatives from Litter Free Coast and Sea and Litter Free Dorset, together with the Mayor of Swanage, children from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Swanage and volunteers from Litter-free Purbeck will be there to watch Mary unveil the trommel which is to be named in her honour.
The trommel, made by Devon campaigners Nurdle is a hand-operated rotary filter that effectively sifts plastics from sand, making it so much easier for volunteer beach cleaners to remove the hazardous fragments. Not only is it highly effective at removing micro-plastics but it is a very good way of helping children understand that it’s not just large pieces of plastic that pose an environmental and wildlife hazard but hidden and invisible marine microplastics too.
Sophie Colley from Litter Free Dorset said: “I am thrilled that Litter Free Dorset has been able to fund this project out of the Highstreet Clean-up Fund. It is always important to recognise the amazing work of local residents- Mary’s nurdle hunts and Litter Free Purbecks numerous beaches cleans have created a catalyst for more community engagement in Swanage. I hope the ‘Mary Dwen’ will continue to inspire minds to think differently about plastic use for Summers to come.”
Gwen Hawkins from Litter Free Coast and Sea said: “The trommel will be used for school’s engagement across Dorset’s beaches, highlighting the problems of Nurdles; small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil. Countless billion are used each year to make nearly all our plastic products but many end up washing up on our shores.”
Bridget Mayes, Coordinator of Litter-free Purbeck’s beach cleaning group Swanage Beach Buddies, said: “We were bowled over to hear a few years ago about what Mary has been quietly doing for some many years. This is backbreaking and dedicated work by someone born and bred in Purbeck who loves its beautiful beaches and cares for its wildlife in this way. Naming the trommel after Mary helps highlight the amazing work she does and we hope will encourage people to pick up small pieces of plastic but also perhaps to think about reducing their plastic use so fewer nurdles are shipped around the world.”
