Sign our petition to #BinTheBeads​
Earlier this winter, millions of plastic beads were released into the sea from Southern Water's Eastbourne wastewater treatment plant. Before long these tiny plastic beads began to wash up on Camber Sands beach, and days later we were devastated to discover them in the saltmarsh at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, one of the largest and most important wildlife sites in England.
Millions of these plastic beads are now floating in the sea and washing up on beaches all along the south coast of England. The plastic beads can be fatal if swallowed by birds and marine mammals who mistake them for food. The beads will eventually break down into microplastics which will further damage the ecosystem once it enters to food chain. The plastic beads are used at the Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Plant and 14 other treatment plants on England's south coast to filter sewage. But it is an outdated treatment method that modern wastewater works do not use. We have seen the consequences when it goes wrong. So why are water companies continuing to use plastic beads in coastal wastewater plants and put nature at risk? Sussex Wildlife Trust and Helena Dollimore MP, Member of Parliament for Hastings, Rye and the villages are calling for them to bin the beads. It is the only way to ensure and incident like this never happens again.
