California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, accusing the oil company of misleading the public for many years about plastic recycling.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday (September 23), claims that ExxonMobil made false claims about how much plastic could actually be recycled and misled people about the impact of plastics on the environment, all to keep their profits high.
California Sues ExxonMobil Over Plastic Recycling Deception
The announcement was made during Climate Week in New York City, where Bonta shared the results of a two-year investigation into ExxonMobil's practices. The lawsuit focuses on the company's claims about "advanced recycling," which uses a process called pyrolysis to turn plastic into fuel.
According to the investigation, only a small amount of the plastics ExxonMobil produces are truly recycled. Bonta said that 92% of plastics in this process are turned into fuel, with just 1% being recycled into new products, CBS News reported.
The lawsuit is part of California's larger effort to hold oil and chemical companies responsible for their role in the growing problem of plastic pollution. In April, Bonta announced that the state was looking into these companies, accusing them of hiding the real environmental harm caused by plastic. Monday's lawsuit is aimed only at ExxonMobil, which Bonta said is the biggest producer of the materials used to make plastics.
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ExxonMobil Defends Its Recycling Efforts
ExxonMobil has responded by saying that its advanced recycling technology works and that it has already processed more than 60 million pounds of plastic waste.
According to Reuters, the company claims that California's recycling system has problems and that state officials have not done enough to fix them.
Despite ExxonMobil's defense, environmental groups are supporting the lawsuit, saying it's an important step in making companies responsible for plastic pollution.
Christy Leavitt, who leads the plastics campaign at Oceana, praised California's actions.
This lawsuit comes at an important time, as world leaders are getting ready for final talks about an international plastic treaty in Busan, South Korea, later this year. The treaty aims to cut back on plastic production around the world, something ExxonMobil and other companies have opposed.
The US recently showed support for this treaty, agreeing with countries that want stricter rules on plastic production.
ExxonMobil's role in the plastic industry has been criticized in recent years. A report from the Minderoo Foundation last year identified Exxon as the largest maker of the materials used in single-use plastics, such as plastic bags and packaging, which often end up polluting the environment.
Bonta's lawsuit also points to documents from the 1970s showing that the industry knew large-scale plastic recycling was "impossible." Even though they knew this, companies like ExxonMobil continued to tell the public that recycling was the answer to the plastic waste problem.
In California, efforts to reduce plastic waste have been ongoing. Franchise Herald recently reported that the state passed a law banning plastic shopping bags, as part of a larger plan to cut down on single-use plastics.
Bonta's lawsuit seeks to fine ExxonMobil and create a fund to help fix the damage caused by plastic pollution.
However, legal experts say the case could be challenging. Bruce Huber, an environmental law professor at Notre Dame Law School, explained that the lawsuit relies on public nuisance law, which can be tricky to prove in court.
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