49 ton nurdle coastal cleanup declared complete Updated Steve Bhengu Share this: The over 49 tons of nurdles that had spilled along KZN's coast line and posed a threat to marine life have successfully been cleaned up. Supplied The tiny plastic materials were in containers which were aboard ships but were lost at sea due to a massive storm in October 2017. The SA Maritime Safety Authority has spearheaded a lengthy and costly cleanup operation since then, as captain Hopewell Mkhize explains. "We convened a joint operations committee consisting of SAMSA, the Department of Environmental Affairs, the National Ports Authority, KZN Department of Economic Development, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the Mediterranean Shipping Company", he said.