STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date:
August 4, 2026
CONSENT
14 SUBJECT: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING STATEWIDE ACTION TO REDUCE
MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
INTENTIONALLY ADDED MICROPLASTICS AND MICROFIBERS
(ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE)
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended by the Environmental Sustainability Committee that the City Council:
1. Adopt the Resolution titled, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, SUPPORTING STATEWIDE ACTION TO REDUCE
MICROPLASTIC POLLUTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INTENTIONALLY ADDED MICROPLASTICS AND MICROFIBERS”.
SUMMARY OF THE MATTER
The Environmental Sustainability Committee recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution supporting Statewide action to reduce microplastics, including intentionally added microplastics and microfibers. The proposed resolution supports future State of California legislation and administrative actions intended to reduce the release of microplastics into the environment, encourages Statewide research and public education, and reaffirms the City's longstanding commitment to protecting coastal resources and reducing plastic pollution.
The resolution does not establish new local regulations, require changes to the Laguna Beach Municipal Code, or create a fiscal impact to the City. Rather, it expresses the City's policy position in support of Statewide efforts to reduce microplastic pollution at its source.
DISCUSSION
Background
At its May 18, 2026 meeting, the Environmental Sustainability Committee received a presentation from 5 Gyres, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to leverage science, advocacy, and community engagement to develop solutions that reduce plastic pollution. The presentation focused on the organization's Systematic Targeting of Microplastics (STOMP) initiative, which seeks to reduce microplastic pollution through state legislation and public policy.
The Committee received information regarding microplastics, which are plastic particles smaller than five millimeters that originate from a variety of sources, including intentionally added microplastics in consumer products, synthetic textiles that release microfibers during washing, food and beverage packaging, plastic kitchenware, tires, and other consumer products. The presentation summarized current scientific research indicating that microplastics have been detected in food, drinking water, marine ecosystems, the atmosphere, and human tissue, including the lungs, arterial plaque, and brain tissue. According to the presentation, studies have associated exposure to microplastics with a range of potential health concerns,
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING STATEWIDE ACTION TO REDUCE MICROPLASTIC
POLLUTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INTENTIONALLY ADDED
MICROPLASTICS AND MICROFIBERS (ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
COMMITTEE)
August 4, 2026
including metabolic disruption, hormone disruption, infertility, cardiovascular disease, stroke, certain cancers, and neurodegenerative disorders.
As part of its presentation, 5 Gyres requested that the City Council adopt a resolution encouraging the State of California to enact legislation reducing microplastic pollution and expressing the City's support for future legislation addressing intentionally added microplastics and microfibers.
Following the presentation, the Environmental Sustainability Committee drafted the resolution included as Attachment 1.1 At its July 20, 2026 meeting, the Committee voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the attached resolution.
Proposed Action
The proposed resolution recognizes that while local governments can reduce certain sources of plastic pollution, they have limited authority to regulate the manufacture, labeling, and Statewide distribution of consumer products that contribute to microplastic pollution. Consequently, the resolution encourages the State of California to pursue a coordinated statewide approach.
Specifically, the resolution expresses the City's support for future State legislation and administrative action that, amongst other things, would:
• Phase out intentionally added microplastics in consumer, commercial, and industrial products where feasible alternatives exist.
• Require microfiber filtration in new residential washing machines and encourage voluntary retrofitting of existing washing machines through incentive programs. • Establish consumer labeling standards for products that may release microplastics or microfibers during normal use.
• Expand extended producer responsibility requirements for manufacturers whose products contribute to microplastic pollution.
• Direct State agencies to develop enforceable Statewide microplastic reduction strategies while preserving local decision-making authority and providing funding and technical assistance when implementation responsibilities are assigned to local governments. • Encourage continued scientific research, public education, and collaboration among government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and industry to reduce microplastic pollution.
The proposed resolution is advisory in nature. Adoption would not establish new regulatory requirements within the City, amend the Laguna Beach Municipal Code, or require additional City programs. Rather, it communicates the City's support for future state legislative and administrative actions addressing microplastic pollution.
1 Staff has made some minor changes to the Committee’s draft resolution, and has further included a CEQA finding in the resolution.
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING STATEWIDE ACTION TO REDUCE MICROPLASTIC
POLLUTION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INTENTIONALLY ADDED
MICROPLASTICS AND MICROFIBERS (ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
COMMITTEE)
August 4, 2026
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
Adoption of the proposed resolution will not have a fiscal impact on the City. The resolution does not authorize expenditures, establish new programs, or require additional staffing.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), adoption of the proposed resolution is not a project as defined by section 15378 of the CEQA guidelines because it constitutes a governmental policy position and organizational activity that will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Alternatively, if the action is determined to be a project, it is exempt pursuant to CEQA guidelines section 15061(b)(3), the commonsense exemption, because it can be seen with certainty that adoption of the resolution will not have the potential to cause a significant effect on the environment.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution Addressing Microplastic Pollution, Including but Not Limited to Intentionally Added Microplastics and Microfibers (Pgs. 4-7)
Submitted By:
. Approved: .David A Kiff
Jeremy Frimond, Assistant City
Manager
Dave Kiff, City Manager
Report Prepared By: Coordinated With:
Jeremy Frimond, Assistant City Manager