Environmental Advocates, Rice University Students to Hold Beach Cleanup to Draw Attention to Plastic Pellet Pollution – Media Advisory

For Immediate Release, July 15, 2026

Contacts: Beth Martin, Environment Texas (Houston), 512-731-1272, bmartin@environmenttexas.org

Brittany McWhorter, Turtle Island Restoration Network (Galveston), 409-795-8426, brittany@tirn.net

Environmental Advocates, Rice University Students to Hold Beach Cleanup to Draw Attention to Plastic Pellet Pollution

What: Environment Texas and Turtle Island Restoration Network will join with Rice University’s Center for Civic Leadership and 60 Rice students to clean plastic pellets off of Sylvan Beach in La Porte, Texas. Plastic pellets (sometimes called “nurdles”), and other microplastics that pollute our oceans, lakes, and rivers, pose environmental and potential public health threats. Environment Texas and Turtle Island Restoration Network urge the state of Texas to take action to stop factories from dumping or spilling plastic pellets into our waterways. 

Location: Sylvan Beach in La Porte, Texas (636 N Bayshore Dr, La Porte, TX 77571)

When: Thursday, July 16, 11-11:30AM; 1-4PM (environmentalists are available to speak with media 11-11:30AM, student volunteers will arrive at 1PM and will be out cleaning the beach roughly until 4PM)

Who: 

Beth Martin, Houston Advocate, Environment Texas

Brittany McWhorter, Turtle Island Restoration Network (Galveston)

Derek Yang, Site Leader, Moody Civic Immersion, Rice University, Center for Civic Leadership