Plastics and Microplastics Litigation

Microplastics have been found in drinking water, soil, air, food, and human tissue. If you live near a plastics plant, work around plastic resins or powders, rely on a potentially contaminated water source, or have watched plastic pellets collect along a nearby waterway, you understand the great extent of the problem.

You may have wondered where the contamination came from and whether the company responsible can be held accountable. Those questions are being answered by toxic tort attorneys and courts across the country.

Residents and environmental groups have already brought cases over plastic pellets discharged from manufacturing plants. The Lyon Firm is investigating plastic pollution and microplastics claims involving industrial contamination, workplace exposure, water pollution, and other potentially harmful releases.

Concerned about plastic pollution where you live or work? Call The Lyon Firm at (513) 381-2333 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation.

How Are People Exposed to Microplastics?

Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than five millimeters. They may be manufactured at a very small size or develop as larger plastic products break down. You do not have to work at a plastics plant to encounter them. Researchers have found microplastics throughout the environment, and there are several ways larger concentrations can reach workplaces and communities. Common sources include:

• Plastic manufacturing facilities. Resin pellets, powders, and other materials can escape during manufacturing, storage, loading, or transportation.
• Industrial wastewater. Plastic processing, recycling, textile, and chemical facilities can release particles and fibers into waterways.
• Synthetic textiles. Manufacturing and washing synthetic fabrics releases tiny plastic fibers.
• Tires. Everyday tire wear produces particles that wash from roads into storm drains, streams, rivers, and other waterways.
• Plastic waste. Bottles, bags, containers, fishing gear, and other plastic products gradually break into increasingly smaller pieces.

Pollution released in one location can also travel. Plastic particles can move through wastewater systems and groundwater, making contamination a concern beyond the property where it originated.

For people living near manufacturing or processing facilities, recurring pellets or plastic debris in nearby waterways, unusual discharges, contaminated wells, and notices from environmental agencies can raise questions about a local source.

Can Microplastics Make You Sick?

Scientists know that microplastics can enter the human body. Researchers have detected plastic particles in blood and human tissue. The health effects are still being studied.

The FDA currently states that scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health. Researchers are continuing to investigate possible effects of BPA and phthalates on cardiovascular health, inflammation, the gut microbiome, reproductive health.

A 2025 Nature Medicine study attracted particular attention after researchers found microplastics and nanoplastics in human liver, kidney, and brain tissue. Concentrations were substantially higher in brain tissue, and samples collected in 2024 contained higher concentrations than those collected in 2016.

For anyone who believes their illness is connected to plastic exposure, the type and amount of exposure can become especially important. Working around plastic dust or resin every day presents a different exposure history than encountering the low levels of microplastics now found throughout the environment.

When Can Plastic Pollution Lead to a Lawsuit?

There is no single type of microplastics lawsuit. People are bringing claims after discovering pollution near their homes, in their drinking water, or at their workplace. Other cases involve products sold with environmental claims that consumers say were misleading.

You Live Near a Plastic Manufacturing or Processing Facility

Some communities have had to deal with plastic pellets, powder, fibers, or other material escaping from industrial facilities into surrounding waterways and property. Residents may see pellets accumulating along shorelines or drainage areas. Private wells or nearby waterways may test positive for contaminants. State or federal environmental agencies may have cited a facility for discharge or permit violations.

Depending on what happened, legal claims can involve property damage, contamination, cleanup costs, or other quantifiable harms.

Your Drinking Water or Private Well May Be Contaminated

Learning that microplastics are present in your water does not necessarily tell you where they came from. When contamination is concentrated around an industrial facility or another identifiable source, residents may have questions about testing their water and determining whether cleanup or remediation is necessary.

If you receive a contamination notice or unusual test result, keep copies of laboratory reports, notices from water utilities or government agencies, and any correspondence concerning the suspected source.

You Were Exposed to Plastics at Work

People who manufacture, process, recycle, grind, cut, or otherwise work with plastics can be exposed to resin, powders, fibers, fumes, and additives at much higher levels than the general public.

If you developed a medical condition after years of occupational exposure, an attorney can review where you worked, the materials you handled, the protective equipment you were given, and the companies that manufactured or supplied the products involved.

Workers' compensation laws can affect claims against an employer. Depending on the circumstances, other companies responsible for a harmful product or exposure may also need to be investigated.

Can Companies Be Held Liable for False Recyclability Claims?

A product labeled “recyclable” can affect what you choose to buy and how much you are willing to pay for it. Problems can arise when the product cannot actually be recycled through the programs available where it is sold.

These claims are sometimes described as greenwashing cases. Consumers allege that a company made environmental claims that gave them a misleading picture of what would happen to the product after they put it in the recycling bin.

State consumer protection laws provide ways to challenge those claims. In California, for example, lawsuits involving allegedly misleading environmental marketing have been brought under the Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act.

The Federal Trade Commission also addresses recyclability claims through its Green Guides. The Guides provide standards for how companies market environmental benefits. Under the Green Guides, a company may need to qualify a recyclability claim when appropriate recycling facilities are not available to a substantial majority of the consumers or communities where the product is sold.

For a consumer, the question is fairly simple: Could you actually recycle the product through the recycling system available to you?

The following cases show why that question has become important:

Keurig Dr Pepper and K-Cup Pods

Keurig faced a consumer class action over representations that its single-use K-Cup pods were recyclable. In 2022, the company agreed to a $10 million settlement and changes to its packaging, including language addressing the fact that the pods are not recycled in many communities.

The issue later reached federal securities regulators. In September 2024, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged Keurig Dr Pepper over statements made to investors about the recyclability of K-Cup pods. The company agreed to pay a $1.5 million civil penalty without admitting or denying the SEC's findings.

Reynolds Consumer Products and Hefty Recycling Bags

Hefty recycling bags drew similar scrutiny because consumers were purchasing a product specifically marketed for recycling.

In February 2026, the Arizona Attorney General reached a settlement with Reynolds Consumer Products over allegations that Hefty bags marketed as recycling bags were not recyclable. Reynolds agreed to pay $212,000 and change the packaging nationwide, including a front-of-package statement informing consumers that the bags themselves are not recyclable.

Connecticut and Minnesota have also pursued actions involving Hefty recycling bags. For consumers, these cases show that a misleading claim can carry legal consequences when the product's real-world recyclability does not match what buyers were led to expect.

Concerned About Plastic Pollution or Microplastic Exposure?

If you found plastic contamination near your home, received concerning water test results, were exposed to plastics at work, or purchased a product based on recyclability claims that may have been misleading, 

The Lyon Firm can review what happened and whether you may have a claim. Call (513) 381-2333 or contact us online for a free, confidential case review.

One Community Took on Formosa Plastics

The Formosa Plastics case started with people living around a Texas industrial facility repeatedly finding plastic pollution in nearby waterways.

Diane Wilson, a former shrimper in Calhoun County, Texas, and other volunteers spent years collecting plastic pellets and powder around waterways near Formosa Plastics' Point Comfort facility. They collected approximately 2,500 samples and took thousands of photographs and videos.

In 2019, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt found that Formosa had violated the Clean Water Act, describing the company as a “serial offender” and its violations as extensive, historical, and repetitive.

The case resulted in a $50 million settlement, the largest Clean Water Act settlement ever reached in a lawsuit brought by private citizens at the time. The agreement also required the facility to work toward zero discharge of plastics into surrounding waterways. The settlement money was directed toward environmental projects rather than paid to the plaintiffs.

For someone living near an industrial facility who keeps seeing pellets, powder, or other pollution in the same places, the case offers a real example of residents taking action after years of watching the problem continue. It also shows why dates, photographs, environmental reports, notices, and testing results are worth keeping if you are concerned about pollution in your own community.

What Can You Expect to Recover in a Plastic Pollution Claim?

A homeowner dealing with contaminated property has different losses than a worker who developed an illness after years of exposure. Someone who purchased a product because of allegedly misleading environmental claims may have another type of claim altogether. Depending on the case and applicable law, potential relief can include:

• Testing and remediation of contaminated property
• Compensation for diminished property value
• Medical expenses related to a documented exposure
• Medical monitoring where permitted by state law
• Consumer refunds or other remedies for deceptive marketing
• Court orders requiring unlawful pollution or marketing practices to stop
• Other damages available under state or federal law

Clean Water Act citizen suits work differently from ordinary claims for personal injury or property damage. Civil penalties generally go to the U.S. Treasury rather than the person who brought the lawsuit. Settlements can also fund cleanup, environmental monitoring, restoration projects, and measures intended to stop future pollution.

What Should You Do If You Are Concerned About Plastic Contamination?

You do not need to become an environmental investigator but there are still some simple things worth saving if you believe a nearby facility is exposing you to plastic pollution. It is prudent to keep copies of the following:

• Water or soil testing results
• Notices from your water utility or environmental agencies
• Photographs or videos of visible pellets, powder, debris, or discharges
• Dates when you noticed recurring pollution
• Medical records related to symptoms or diagnosed conditions
• Employment records showing where you worked and what materials you handled
• Workplace safety information or protective-equipment policies
• Letters, emails, or other communications concerning contamination

If you see material that you believe may be hazardous, do not handle it or enter private or restricted property to collect it.

You can bring the information you already have to an attorney. The attorney can determine whether additional environmental testing, records, or investigation may be appropriate.