Plastic is everywhere, in our packaging, our products, our bodies. We know that plastic pollution isn't just a litter problem, but a public health crisis rooted in the fossil fuel industry, playing out right now in California communities, state courtrooms, and the greenwashed marketing of so-called "eco-friendly" alternatives. Here's what you need to know…
A Toxic Wake-Up Call in Garden Grove
On May 23, California declared a state of emergency after roughly 50,000 residents near Garden Grove were ordered to evacuate their homes. The cause: a leaking tank at the GKN Aerospace facility holding 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate (MMA), a toxic, highly flammable chemical used to make plastics, adhesives, and resins.
MMA is heavier than air, meaning it lingers at ground level as a flammable vapor. Exposure can cause respiratory distress, nausea, dizziness, and skin irritation. Experts warned that an explosion could have triggered dangerous chemical reactions, similar to what happened after the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio train derailment involving vinyl chloride.
This wasn't a freak accident. EPA records show GKN was out of compliance with hazardous waste requirements for much of 2024, and in 2025 the company paid nearly $1 million to settle state air permit violations dating back almost five years. Regulators knew. Enforcement failed.
The Garden Grove leak is a reminder that plastic production doesn't begin with a shopping bag on a beach, it begins with the industrial handling of toxic petrochemicals in residential communities. Environmental justice advocates are urging residents to document symptoms, including in children and small pets, whose bodies are more vulnerable to lower levels of chemical exposure, and warning that the full health picture may not be clear for years.
Chemical disasters are not rare. On average, a major chemical incident occurs every two days in the United States. More than half of all Americans live within a worst-case-scenario disaster zone for the nation's highest-risk industrial facilities. Meanwhile, the current federal administration has moved to slash EPA enforcement and roll back chemical accident prevention rules, putting more communities at risk.
California's Landmark Plastic Law Is Headed for the Courts
In 2022, California passed SB 54, one of the most ambitious plastic pollution laws in the country. The law sets binding deadlines for manufacturers to reduce plastic packaging and increase recycling rates: a 10 percent reduction in plastic packaging by January 2027, a 40-percent recycling rate for single-use plastics by 2030, and a requirement that all packaging be recyclable or compostable by 2032.
The law’s regulations have only recently taken effect – and have triggered fights from opposite sides.
First, a coalition of 17 states, including Texas, Florida, and Georgia, sued California in federal court, calling the law an overreach. Led by Nebraska's Attorney General, the plaintiffs argue that California is effectively setting national policy through its market power, and that compliance costs will be passed on to consumers. They are asking a judge to block enforcement immediately.
Second, environmental groups have also sued California, arguing that the state has implemented the law with loopholes that gut its intent. Surfrider’s Plastic Pollution Senior Manager Miho Ligare serves on the statewide SB 54 advisory committee and wrote in detail about the issues here.
The central dispute involves pyrolysis, a high-temperature process for breaking down plastic that the state's regulations count as "recycling." Advocates from Oceana, NRDC, and Californians Against Waste – the organizations suing the state – argue that pyrolysis produces only a tiny fraction of reusable plastic output, generates significant hazardous waste, and should not qualify. They contend the regulations conflict with what the legislature actually passed.
Both lawsuits reflect the same underlying reality: California's plastic law matters far beyond state borders, making strong, loophole-free implementation essential.
Big Oil's Next Play: Drowning Us in (More) Plastic
There's a reason plastic production keeps climbing even as public opposition grows. As the global energy transition threatens fossil fuel demand, the oil and gas industry has made a deliberate strategic bet on plastic as its next major profit center. According to a recent investigation in Scientific American, oil companies plan to pour $100 billion into expanding plastic and petrochemical production, and to increase petrochemical production by 80 percent by 2050. The explicit goal is to keep pumping oil even as transportation fuel demand falls. Plastic is the escape valve.
One piece of that strategy is the promotion of so-called “bioplastics,” products marketed as compostable or biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic. At first glance, they seem like progress. But as Surfrider's Mythbusting Bioplastics blog explains, the reality is far more complicated. There is no federal regulation of bioplastic claims, which means brands can make bold "eco-friendly" assertions without science or certification to back them up. Some bioplastics can take hundreds of years to degrade; others may be more toxic than the conventional plastic they replace. Bioplastic production is expected to triple by 2028.
The disposal problem is equally murky. "Compostable" products often require specialized industrial composting facilities that most communities don't have – and some industrial composters won't even accept bioplastics due to contamination concerns. Terms like "biodegradable" and "marine degradable" lack standardized timeframes or conditions, making them essentially meaningless on a label. Several states, including California, have banned the term "biodegradable" on product labels for this reason.
What You Can Do Right Now
California has the tools and the laws to lead, but only if we hold the line on implementation and keep pushing for stronger protections. Here's how to take action today:
- Make California’s Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund Work: Support SB 1180 (Allen)
- Ban Disposable Single-Use Vapes: Support AB 762 (Irwin)
- Make “Recycled Content” Mean What it Says: Support AB 2253 (Boerner)
- Learn more about how to support Surfrider’s efforts to stop plastic pollution
The fossil fuel industry is betting that plastic is its future. It doesn't have to be ours.
As California Policy Associate Director, Jennifer advocates at the legislature and in front of state agencies to ensure protection of the Golden State's 1,100 miles of coastline. Based in Humboldt County, she supports California's 20 chapters on regional ocean protection efforts.