Government agencies in Wales have reported finding thousands of strange plastic discs washed up on dozens of beaches. After investigating, they discovered the source to be a wastewater treatment plant. 

What happened?

According to the BBC, beachgoers have noticed small discs on the shores of beaches in Swansea, Gower, and Neath Port Talbot, per the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Welsh Water, a nonprofit water and sewerage company serving Wales and parts of England, reported that the discs — which are used in the biological treatment of wastewater — were accidentally released from its Fabian Way treatment facility following a power outage. 

It said that measures are being taken to prevent a similar event in the future, and Natural Resources Wales, a government agency responsible for sustainably managing the country's land and water, is investigating the incident. 

Residents found an unfathomable number of the discs wrapped in seaweed and other debris, and noted that most would probably have to be removed manually.

"Thousands is an understatement. They absolutely plagued the high tide line," local resident Chloe Stacey, who discovered a substantial amount of them at Swansea beach, told the BBC.

Why is the plastic debris concerning?

The discs are said to be around 23 millimeters in diameter, which means marine animals could easily choke on them if they're mistaken for food. Furthermore, since many were entangled in debris, cleanup crews might overlook some of them. 

As the discs decompose, they could leach hazardous chemicals into the water and the surrounding beach ecosystem. 

According to a separate report from the BBC, plastic litter is already a major problem in Wales, with the city council spending nearly $1.1 million to clean up more than 275 tons of litter annually across beaches in Barry. 

A 2021 survey by the Marine Conservation Society found that plastic and polystyrene pieces made up over 80% of all beach litter. Environmental groups attribute the increase in waste to higher consumption of to-go food and drinks over the last few years. 

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While the recent incident with the plastic discs was not caused by improper trash disposal, it still contributes to the load of debris plaguing Wales' beaches and presents public health and environmental risks. 

What is Welsh Water doing to prevent further contamination?

Welsh Water did not disclose details on its potential preventative measures. Natural Resources Wales is continuing to monitor beaches across the country to look out for more plastic discs that may wash up. The city council in Neath Port Talbot has also sent out a cleaning crew to remove the discs from its beaches.

"Most of these discs have been picked up from beaches on Gower and our crews and volunteers are making routine visits to collect any more that are found," it said in a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, as reported by Wales Online.

If you live in Wales and come across any plastic discs on the beach, report them to the local authorities and consider volunteering with cleanup crews to help the ecosystem recover. 

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