Plastic pellet loss does not begin at the site boundary. It begins at transfer points, and mostly in quantities small enough that nobody logs them.
The common factor is that each individual event looks trivial. Cumulatively they are the reason pellets end up in surface water, and once material reaches a drain it is effectively unrecoverable.
Key points at a glance
Pellet loss prevention is a sequence, and retention at the drain is the last step rather than the first.
The EU plastic pellet regulation and the industry programme get mentioned together constantly, and they are different in kind. Getting this wrong is what produces the compliance claims…
Plastic pellet loss prevention ➔ where losses happen, which measures work and how EU 2025/2365 and OCS fit in. Read the guide!
Where pellet losses actually happen
| Point | Typical loss |
|---|---|
| Bulk delivery and unloading | spillage at couplings, residues in hoses |
| Big bag and octabin handling | material at opening and emptying |
| Conveying and hoppers | leakage at joints, overfilling |
| Cleaning | wet washing that carries material into drains |
| Maintenance and incidents | line clearing, blockages, equipment changes |
| Storage yards | wind transport of loose material |
The measures, in the order they work
Pellet loss prevention is a sequence, and retention at the drain is the last step rather than the first.
Contain at source. Closed transfer, sealed couplings, catch trays under connection points. What never escapes needs no retention.
Sweep dry before washing. Wet cleaning moves pellets towards drains. Dry sweeping first, then washing, is the single change with the largest effect on most sites.
Map the drains. Sites are regularly surprised by where a yard drain discharges. Retention is only worth fitting once you know which drains matter.
Retain at the drain. A pellet trap for drains catches what the earlier steps missed. It works because it is the last controllable point, not because it is the most effective one.
Document and review. Incidents, checks and changes recorded, so that the scheme can be shown to work rather than asserted to.
EU Regulation 2025/2365 and Operation Clean Sweep are not the same thing
The EU plastic pellet regulation and the industry programme get mentioned together constantly, and they are different in kind. Getting this wrong is what produces the compliance claims that do not hold.
| EU Regulation 2025/2365 | Operation Clean Sweep | |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | binding regulation | voluntary industry programme |
| Applies to | operators handling plastic pellets | companies that choose to join |
| Obligations sit with | the operator | the participating company |
| Covers | handling, procedures, documentation, verification depending on scale | commitment to good practice and continual improvement |
| Can equipment be certified to it? | no | no |
Two consequences follow, and both matter when comparing suppliers.
No product makes a site compliant. The obligations under the regulation are operator obligations covering procedures, records and, above a certain scale, external verification. Installing hardware is a measure that supports them. It does not discharge them.
There is no such thing as an OCS-certified filter. Operation Clean Sweep is a commitment made by a company. It is not a certification scheme for equipment, and any product marketed as OCS certified is being described inaccurately.
WINKLER supplies retention hardware and documents what it is. We do not certify compliance with either framework, and we would rather say so than let a purchasing decision rest on a misunderstanding.
Nurdles, pellets and why the word matters
Nurdle is the informal term for a pre-production plastic pellet, widely used in the UK and in the marine litter context. A nurdle trap or nurdle filter in a drainage setting is the same product as a pellet retention system.
The vocabulary usually signals where the enquiry comes from. Marine litter language tends to come with an environmental commitment behind it; process language tends to come with a specific handling problem. The technical answer is identical, and so are the two measurements needed: gully pot diameter and clear depth.
What retention at the drain can and cannot do
It holds solid material above the filter rating at the last point before the drainage system. Standard pellets are held comfortably at 70 µm. Fine regrind dust is not.
It does not prevent losses, it catches them. A site with retention and no upstream measures has moved the problem to a bucket that fills faster than anyone expected. A site with upstream measures and retention has a scheme that works and can be shown to work.
Frequently asked questions about plastic pellet loss
These are questions we receive from plastics processing businesses and logistics operations
Do retention systems make my operation compliant with EU Regulation 2025/2365?
Not automatically. The Regulation addresses operational measures, processes and evidence. A retention system can be one of those measures, but assessment of the individual operation requires competent professional judgement.
What filter rating is sensible for plastic pellets?
Typical pellets are in the millimetre range and are readily retained by a 70 µm textile. The finer rating also addresses regrind and abrasion generated during handling. Finer textiles would load more quickly without adding a benefit for the main pellet fraction.
Is sweeping on its own enough?
Sweeping is effective and should be the first measure, but it cannot reach everything. Material in cracks, beneath equipment or in difficult-to-access areas can remain and then be mobilised by rain. The retention stage at the drain catches this residual fraction.
Is Operation Clean Sweep a certification?
It is a voluntary programme with a set of measures and a commitment framework. Businesses and processes can be assessed or certified under the relevant schemes; individual products are not OCS-certified.
How often does a retention system need to be checked?
That depends on the load at the individual surface. Use a short inspection interval during the first year and derive a permanent routine from what you find. Documenting those checks is just as important for evidence as fitting the measure itself.
What happens to the pellets that are collected?
That depends on how the material is classified within the operation. Clean, single-grade pellets may in some cases be reused; mixed or contaminated material goes to recycling or disposal. The operator makes that assessment.
Still unsure which filter or next step fits?
Send us the medium, dimensions and application. We will help you decide whether a standard product is suitable or whether the case needs a custom solution.
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