The EnviroPod™ LittaTrap™: A Success Story in Plastic Pellet Capture

Plastic pellet pollution, or "nurdles," poses a unique environmental challenge. These small pellets, the raw material for plastic manufacturing, often escape into the environment during production, transport, and handling. Once in waterways, they can harm wildlife, leach chemicals, and persist for decades. The EnviroPod LittaTrap™ with its specialized Nurdle Liner is a breakthrough solution for capturing these tiny pollutants. This blog explores how the LittaTrap™ equipped with the EnviroPod™ Nurdle Liner helps petrochemical and plastic manufacturing facilities that need to control microplastic pollution and meet standards like Operation Clean Sweep.

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The Importance of Pellet Capture

Plastic pellets are tiny—around 1-5mm in size—and often mistaken for food by aquatic animals. This leads to ingestion, bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals, and broader ecosystem harm. Due to their size and buoyancy, pellets are easily carried by stormwater runoff from industrial sites into storm drains and waterways. Traditional stormwater systems are not designed to capture pollutants this small, creating an urgent need for solutions like the LittaTrap™ with the EnviroPod™ Nurdle Liner.

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How the LittaTrap™ with Nurdle Liner Captures Plastic Pellets Effectively

The EnviroPod™ LittaTrap™ is a highly adaptable catch basin insert designed to capture and retain floating trash, including plastic pellets, as stormwater flows through drainage systems. The addition of the EnviroPod™ Nurdle Liner enhances this system’s effectiveness in pellet capture with features tailored for smaller pollutant control:

• Nurdle Liner Technology: The EnviroPod™ Nurdle Liner is a 1000-micron mesh filter that fits within the LittaTrap™. This specialized liner is engineered to capture pollutants as small as 1mm, including plastic resin pellets. It prevents these tiny particles from passing through, ensuring thorough filtration.
• Customizable Filtration: With its fine mesh design, the Nurdle Liner allows the LittaTrap™ to capture plastic pellets and other microplastics efficiently while still allowing stormwater to pass through without blockage.
• Modular Design: The LittaTrap™ and Nurdle Liner combination can be adapted to fit various catch basin sizes and types, making it suitable for a wide range of industrial and commercial sites at risk of pellet loss.

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Real-World Success Stories with the Nurdle Liner The EnviroPod™ LittaTrap™ with the Nurdle Liner has been deployed worldwide with impressive results, capturing large volumes of plastic pellets and protecting local waterways. Here are a few success stories:

1. Texas, USA – A major plastics manufacturing facility in Texas installed LittaTraps™ with the Nurdle Liner across their site to capture pellet runoff. Within just a few months, the system captured a substantial amount of pellets, keeping them out of nearby rivers and helping the facility meet strict state regulations for plastic pollution.

2. Auckland, New Zealand – In Auckland, an industrial site installed LittaTraps™ with the Nurdle Liner, significantly reducing pellet discharge into storm drains. Regular maintenance reports show that the LittaTrap™ system captured thousands of pellets, keeping Auckland's waterways cleaner and demonstrating the company’s commitment to sustainability.

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Supporting Operation Clean Sweep and Other Standards

The EnviroPod LittaTrap™ with the Nurdle Liner helps industries meet both regulatory and voluntary standards for pellet containment. Operation Clean Sweep®, an industry initiative aimed at eliminating plastic pellet loss, is well supported by the LittaTrap™ system, making it an essential tool for industries committed to environmental responsibility.

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The LittaTrap™ Advantage: Efficient, Cost-Effective Compliance and Sustainability

The LittaTrap™ and Nurdle Liner are not only environmentally beneficial but also a cost-effective choice for industrial sites. Its modular installation and minimal maintenance make it a practical solution for companies aiming to achieve regulatory compliance while reducing maintenance costs.

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