Bio-bead pollution at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

admin
, 14 November 2025
Bio-bead pollution at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
Bio-bead pollution © Arthur Sloman

Our monitoring has revealed bio-bead pollution in the saltmarsh at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Bio-beads are tiny black plastic pellets that are used in wastewater treatment and have been released along the East Sussex coast following a failure at a Southern Water Wastewater Treatment Works in Eastbourne. 

This incident could have a devastating impact on the fragile saltmarsh habitat and its wildlife. The clean-up of this sensitive habitat will be complicated and needs to be carefully planned. We need to fully understand the extent to which the pollution has affected the reserve. Sussex Wildlife Trust is seeking advice from the Environment Agency, to ensure that this pollution incident is handled correctly to mitigate any further damage.

We will share further updates in due course.

How you can help

Please report any sightings of bio-beads to the Environment Agency Incident Hotline 0800 807060. Quoting reference: 2440833.

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