Plastics Litigation

For decades, cities, counties, and states have spent billions of dollars cleaning up plastic waste. From street litter removal/cleanup to managing overflowing landfills and mitigating the growing threat of microplastic pollution, the financial burden unjustly falls on state and local governments, while the corporations responsible continue to profit.

At Singleton Schreiber, we help municipalities take legal action against the corporations responsible for the plastic pollution crisis. Our experienced environmental litigation team works to recover waste management costs, protect public health, and shift accountability back to the manufacturers who have long misled the public about recycling and sustainability.

Contact Singleton Schreiber today to learn more about how we can support your plastics litigation efforts.

Why Choose Singleton Schreiber For Your Plastics Litigation?

At Singleton Schreiber, we are at the forefront of a national movement to hold the plastics industry accountable. We are currently advising municipalities across the country, and we’re ready to help you next. Here's why public entities are turning to us to represent when it comes to plastics litigation:

• We have a track record of taking on some of the world’s most powerful corporations, which gives us the uniquely necessary experience and knowledge to represent government entities in high-impact environmental cases
• Together, our attorneys have decades of experience in environmental justice, mass torts, public nuisance litigation, and as in-house counsel to public entities
• We invest the time and resources necessary to build strong, evidence-based cases, partnering with top experts in environmental science, waste management, and economics to strengthen your claim and maximize your chances of success.
• We have a client-centered approach tailer to the unique challenges facing cities, counties, and states

The Hidden Truth About Plastic Waste

Recycling was never a real solution. Most plastic cannot be cost-effectively or sustainably recycled. The plastic industry has known this for decades but has continued to mislead the public, local governments, and policymakers.

Key Issues With Plastic Waste:

• Different plastics require separate processing and can’t be recycled together.
• Recycled plastics degrade in quality and are limited in how often they can be reused.
• It’s often cheaper for companies to produce new (“virgin”) plastic than to recycle used plastic.
• Most plastic breaks down into microplastics that contaminate ecosystems and pose health risks.

According to a report from the Center for Climate Integrity, internal records show that plastic manufacturers and big oil companies knew as far back as the 1970s that widespread plastic recycling was not feasible. However, they still launched campaigns to promote recycling as a way to avoid meaningful regulation and to shift responsibility onto the public and local governments.

In recent years, industry players have shifted toward promoting “advanced recycling”, which is a process that remains largely unproven, economically unsound, and environmentally questionable.

How plastic waste is draining local budgets

Plastics make up a relatively small percentage of total solid waste, around 7-12 percent. However, managing it is disproportionately expensive. Cities and counties face both direct and indirect financial impacts, including:

• Direct Expenses: Litter cleanup, public education programs, facility construction and upgrades, and routine plastic waste management.
• Indirect Losses: Tourism declines, reduced property values, and increased public safety issues linked to environmental degradation.
• Global Costs: The global price tag for managing plastic waste exceeds $32 billion annually.

These costs have surged in recent years due to international bans on plastic waste imports, leaving local governments with even fewer options.

What Legal Options Are Available for Cities, Counties, and States?

State and local governments can now pursue legal action/litigation to hold the responsible parties accountable to recover damages and drive meaningful industry reform.  

Potential legal claims may include:

• Public nuisance – suing for widespread plastic pollution that interferes with public health, safety, or the use of public spaces, like parks and waterways
• Trespass – alleging that plastic waste or microplastics have unlawfully entered and contaminated public land or water systems
• Product liability – holding manufacturers accountable for designing and distributing plastic products they knew would not be recyclable or safely disposable
• Consumer fraud – claiming that companies misled the public by marketing plastics as recyclable despite knowing otherwise
• Violations of anti-littering statutes – pursing penalties against companies whose packaging consistently ends up as litter in public spaces (like cigarette butts)
• RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) – alleging that plastic manufacturers engaged in coordinated deception over recycling to avoid regulation and shift cleanup costs
• Negligence – asserting that companies failed to exercise reasonable care in the design, labeling, and lifecycle planning of plastic products, causing foreseeable harm to communities

targeting the right defendants: Who Can Be Held Responsible?

A wide range of corporations and industry groups have fueled the plastic waste and pollution crisis, many may be held legally accountable for the environmental and financial harm caused by their products and misleading practices. Potentially liable parties may include:

• Major beverage and consumer goods companies – these companies are among the largest producers of single-use plastics
• Fossil Fuel and Petrochemical Companies – these corporations produce the raw materials used in virgin plastic manufacturing and have promoted “advanced recycling”
• Tobacco Companies – cigarette butts are a major source of plastic pollution due to their cellulose acetate filters
• Industry Trade Groups and Lobbying Organizations – these groups have allegedly played a key role in promoting misleading narratives about recycling
• And more

Ongoing Legal Action: Momentum is Building Nationwide

Several government entities have already taken legal action, including:

• City of Baltimore v. Pepsico, et al.
• California v. ExxonMobil

These and other actions are tracked in the Plastics Litigation Tracker by NYU and represent a growing movement toward accountability and cost recovery.

TAKE ACTION NOW: Call Singleton Schreiber Today

Your community shouldn’t have to clean up the plastic industry's mess and pay for the plastics industry’s decades of deception and pollution. Singleton Schreiber is ready to help your city, county, or state recover costs, protect your residents and demand accountability in order to pursue justice and compensation.

Contact us today with the evaluation form below or calling us at 866-322-7864 to explore your legal options and join the fight for a cleaner, healthier future.

 

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