The LittaTrap™ is very effective at reducing plastic pellet loss on a plastic manufacturing site in Canada.
Plastic resin pellets, commonly known as nurdles, are one of the most common forms of industrial plastic pollution found in waterways around the world. If accidentally spilled during manufacturing or transport, these small plastic pellets can be washed into stormwater systems and carried directly into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
To reduce this risk, Hood Packaging, a leading plastics manufacturing supplier, partnered with EnviroPod™ Canada to trial the LittaTrap™ as an at-source stormwater treatment solution capable of intercepting plastic pellets and litter before they reached the receiving environment.
Stormwater runoff is one of the leading pathways for plastic pollution to enter freshwater environments because it is typically discharged directly into nearby waterways without treatment. Across Canada, protecting the Great Lakes and other freshwater ecosystems from plastic pollution has become an increasing environmental priority.
Hood Packaging wanted to better understand how much plastic material was leaving its site through stormwater drainage and evaluate a practical solution that could:
EnviroPod™ installed a LittaTrap™ Catch Basin Insert fitted with a 1,000-micron performance liner inside an existing catch basin located adjacent to one of Hood Packaging's manufacturing buildings.
The catch basin receives runoff from:
These areas are recognised as high-risk locations for accidental resin pellet loss and packaging debris. The finer 1,000-micron liner was selected to capture pollutants greater than 1 mm in diameter, including plastic resin pellets, while maintaining hydraulic performance.
The pilot was monitored over 99 days, with monthly inspections undertaken by EnviroPod™.
Each inspection included:
Following an initial adjustment to ensure the insert was correctly seated within the frame, no further bypass was observed during the remainder of the trial. Based on the results, monthly visual inspections were recommended to establish long-term maintenance frequencies.
During the 99-day monitoring period, the LittaTrap™ captured:
Plastic resin pellets represented the overwhelming majority of pollutants captured during the trial, demonstrating the effectiveness of source-control treatment for industrial facilities.
Plastic resin pellets are among the most widespread forms of microplastic pollution globally. Due to their small size and lightweight nature, they are easily transported by stormwater runoff where they can persist in the environment and pose significant risks to aquatic ecosystems.
The Hood Packaging trial demonstrated that installing a LittaTrap™ at a single high-risk storm drain can prevent thousands of plastic items from entering waterways every year.
With 23 Hood Packaging facilities across North America, expanding this approach across additional sites has the potential to significantly reduce plastic pollution before it reaches rivers and lakes.
The Hood Packaging pilot demonstrates the value of managing plastic pollution at its source. By intercepting resin pellets and other plastic debris within the catch basin, the LittaTrap™ provides manufacturers with a practical, cost-effective solution that complements existing environmental management programmes.
For industrial facilities seeking to minimise plastic loss, improve stormwater quality, and protect local waterways, source-control technologies like LittaTrap™ offer a simple solution with measurable environmental outcomes.
The report summarises the litter and resin pellets caught in the LittaTrap™ over the three-month testing period. The LittaTrap™ with a 1000-micron performance liner captures gross pollutants and other pollutants greater than 1 mm in diameter before they are transported into receiving waters.
During the trial period of 99 days, 712 plastic litter items were collected. If we took this loading rate and extrapolated out, this single catch basin could catch around 2,500 pieces of plastic each year.
Learn more about this in the Case Study Download.
