U.S. Lawmakers Renew Push to Stop Plastic Pellet Pollution
House bill would prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets – the foundation for most plastic products – into waterways
Press Release Date: February 13, 2026
Location: Washington
Contact:
Megan Jordan | email: mjordan@oceana.org | tel: 202.868.4061
Yesterday, lawmakers in the House of Representatives reintroduced a bill to keep plastic pellets out of U.S. waterways.
The Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, sponsored by Reps. Mike Levin (D-CA) and Hillary Scholten (D-MI), would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use its existing authority under the Clean Water Act to prohibit the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic into waterways.
Most plastic products are created from small, pre-production pellets. These plastic pellets — also known as nurdles — are tiny, about the size of a pea. The U.S. was the largest exporter of pellets in 2021, coming from more than 12,500 production facilities, and continues to be one of the top exporters today. Once the plastic pellets are created, they are transported to plastic product manufacturers, which transform them into products such as beverage bottles, product packaging, and food containers.
Plastic pellets are often spilled during manufacturing and transportation. Because of their small size and light weight, pellets can be easily blown, washed, or swept into drains, the ocean, rivers, or other waterways. This makes them difficult to control or clean up following a spill. Despite this, there are no national regulations in the U.S. to control pollution from plastic pellet spills or discharges. An estimated 134 million pounds of plastic pellets are released into North America’s environment every year. Scientists estimate that up to 22 trillion pellets may be entering the ocean and environment each year globally. Oceana polling released in 2024, conducted by the nonpartisan polling firm Ipsos, found that 87% of registered voters support policies to protect our rivers, lakes, and oceans from plastic pellet pollution.
“Oceana thanks Representatives Mike Levin and Hillary Scholten for addressing plastic pollution by reintroducing the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act,” said Christy Leavitt, Senior Campaign Director at Oceana. “Plastic pellets can easily spill or wash into our oceans, rivers, and lakes, and they are extremely difficult to clean up because of their small size. These tiny pieces of plastic contribute to the growing plastic pollution crisis and flood of plastic into our oceans and fresh waterways. Congress should pass this much needed solution to protect our coasts, communities, and wildlife.”
Background
Plastic has been found in every corner of the world and has turned up in drinking water, beer, salt, honey, and more. It’s been found in the air we breathe and the water we drink and it’s even showing up in our bodies, including blood, lungs, heart, and breast milk. Plastic poses environmental and public health threats at every stage from extraction and production to use and disposal. It’s also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increased amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences.
A 2020 Oceana report revealed evidence of nearly 1,800 animals from 40 different species swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic in U.S. waters between 2009 and early 2020. Of those animals, a staggering 88% were from species listed as endangered or threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.
Less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled, yet the plastics industry continues to tout recycling as a panacea while pushing new plastic products onto the market. Companies need to dramatically reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic, provide plastic-free choices, and develop systems that refill and reuse packaging and foodware. Elected officials must enact policies to ensure they do so.
In February 2025, Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll revealing that an overwhelming majority of U.S. voters support policies that reduce single-use plastics. Overall, 81% of U.S. voters support reducing the amount of plastic that is produced. The national online poll, conducted for Oceana by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, surveyed 1,111 registered U.S. voters from December 13 to 15, 2024.
Included among the key findings:
- 82% of U.S. voters support protecting people in neighborhoods that are affected by pollution from nearby plastic production facilities.
- 80% of U.S. voters support requiring companies to reduce single-use plastic packaging and foodware.
To learn more about Oceana’s campaign to stop plastic pollution, please visit usa.oceana.org/plastics.
