Nurdle Free Lanka Campaign
X-Press Pearl
On the 20th of May 2021, a ship called the MV X-Press Pearl, carrying a range of toxic goods, including nitric acid and over 1000 tonnes of plastic pellets, caught fire off the coast of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The world watched in horror.
As the crisis unfolded, I remember the feeling of powerlessness as the reports
came in of a bad situation getting worse and worse.
Ultimately, the ship sank while spewing thousands of tonnes of plastic pellets that will
lurk in the environment for years.
With each monsoon, pellets will pollute the beaches like a bad dream, recurring over
and over again.
To better understand the disaster I had the fortune of meeting Muditha from the Sri Lankan Pearl Protectors. The Pearl Protectors is an advocacy for the ocean.
I spoke to Muditha to guide me through the details of what happened and what the
situation is on the coast today.