City of Baytown Stands Up for Innovation and Texas Jobs 

Jason Calder, City of Baytown

The City of Baytown is standing firmly behind its decision to join the ExxonMobil v. Bonta lawsuit, defending the city’s economic future, environmental progress, and commitment to a transparent local government.

In Baytown, we build solutions while others build headlines. The City of Baytown joined this case to put an end to a coordinated smear campaign that threatens our local economy and interferes with a productive, innovative partnership with ExxonMobil.

Currently, ExxonMobil operates an advanced recycling facility in Baytown that has processed more than 80 million pounds of plastic waste that would otherwise be sitting in a landfill or floating in the ocean. The industry leader is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in additional advancements at the Baytown complex to expand recycling capacity to 500 million pounds per year, which would bring major economic and employment benefits to our community.

These recycling efforts would mean fewer plastics in landfills, more tax revenue supporting local infrastructure and services, and more high-quality jobs for hard-working Texans.

But while Baytown is building a cleaner future and supporting real solutions, others are tearing it down for political theater. California Attorney General Rob Bonta has chosen to attack these efforts, calling advanced recycling a “myth,” a “lie,” and a “sham.” Those claims are inaccurate and insulting to the hard-working employees who are leading the way on practical environmental solutions.

In fact, the City of Baytown has been exploring advanced recycling opportunities even beyond ExxonMobil’s initiative, further proving that this process is legitimate, effective, and central to a circular economy.

Advanced recycling works. It breaks plastics down at the molecular level, creating new materials for new products, a true innovation in waste reduction and sustainability.

Mayor Charles Johnson said, “Mr. Bonta, come see for yourself. Visit Baytown and see the advanced recycling process in action. We have 80 million pounds of proof that it works. In Texas, we’ve got nothing to hide. We’re building things. If Mr. Bonta wants to call this a ‘sham,’ he can come to Baytown and say it to the hard-working people that make this facility a success.”

He added, “Texas innovation doesn’t need permission from California politicians.”

The City of Baytown is proud to stand up for innovation, for our workers, and for the future of American recycling. We look forward to a quick and fair resolution of this defamation case so our city can continue moving forward on real solutions, real jobs, and real environmental progress.