The pristine beaches of Sri Lanka have been completely covered by toxic plastic emitted from a sinking cargo ship that caught fire on May 20th. The barge burned for two weeks, releasing super toxic chemicals of nitric acid, fuel and oil into the environment, not to mention 78 metric tons of nurdles. What's that you say? Nurdles? These are super tiny plastic pellets that are used to create anything with plastic. Think of it as clay for a potter, except clay biodegrades and plastic...well that lasts forever. Even worse, these small pellets can be confused for food for local marine life.
This is a catastrophe for this seafaring country that relies on its pristine beaches and bountiful seafood for their economy.