ExxonMobil Accused of Deceiving Public About Plastic Recycling
California has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ExxonMobil for allegedly deceiving the public about the plastic pollution crisis, the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, announced on Monday. The suit alleges that ExxonMobil, a major producer of the synthetic substances used to make plastics, has spent decades misleading consumers about the recyclability of plastics, contributing to the massive amount of plastic waste polluting waterways in the state and around the world.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, seeks to hold the oil titan accountable for allegedly falsely promoting all plastics as recyclable. This includes a more recent effort to push the controversial practice of advanced recycling, also known as chemical recycling, as a solution. However, experts say that only a small fraction of the plastic produced gets recycled: about 9 percent worldwide and about 5 to 6 percent in the United States.
Exxon Knew About the Limitations of Plastic Recycling
A February report from the advocacy group Center for Climate Integrity (CCI) found that plastic producers have known for decades that plastic recycling is too cumbersome and pricey to become a feasible waste management solution, yet promoted it anyway. In a statement, CCI president, Richard Wiles, called the legal challenge “the most important legal action to date in the global fight against plastic pollution”.
Wiles said that ExxonMobil has “known and lied for decades about the reality that its plastic products could never be recycled at scale.” He added that the company’s “entire business model is based on lying to the public about the harms its products cause.” This echoes concerns that ExxonMobil has been accused of misleading the public about the impacts of fossil fuels on climate change.
California Leads the Way in Holding Corporations Accountable
The California lawsuit, filed in San Francisco county superior court, seeks to prohibit ExxonMobil from further polluting, making false or misleading statements about plastics recycling, and to pay the state for the costs of their impacts and alleged lying to the public. The lawsuit represents the first time a government entity has sued the company for allegedly misleading the public about the recyclability of plastic.
Attorney General Bonta’s office alleges that ExxonMobil vastly overstated the amount of plastics that could be recycled. “For decades, ExxonMobil has been deceiving the public to convince us that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis when they clearly knew this wasn’t possible,” Bonta said in a statement. “ExxonMobil lied to further its record-breaking profits at the expense of our planet and possibly jeopardizing our health.”
A Wave of Similar Litigation
Advocates hope the California suit will spur a wave of similar litigation. “Attorney General Bonta is leading the way to corporate accountability and a cleaner and healthier world,” Judith Enck, the head of anti-plastic advocacy group Beyond Plastics and a former senior Environmental Protection Agency official, said in a statement. “This lawsuit will set an invaluable precedent for others to follow.”
The legal action comes amid a broader effort to stem the deluge of plastic that ends up in the environment. A recent study found Earth’s oceans contain more than 170 trillion pieces of plastic. The material can also break down into tiny microplastics or nanoplastics that can enter human blood, lungs and other organs.
Public Support for Holding Corporations Accountable
Polling conducted by CCI and the progressive polling firm Data for Progress this month found a majority of American voters, including 54% of Republicans, would support legal efforts to hold oil and petrochemicals responsible for the plastic crisis. This suggests that there is growing public awareness of the plastic pollution crisis and a desire for accountability from corporations responsible for its creation.
A Growing Movement
The lawsuit against ExxonMobil is part of a growing movement to hold corporations accountable for their role in the plastic pollution crisis. Last year, California sued Exxon and four other big oil companies, accusing them of sowing climate doubt despite longstanding knowledge of their products’ contributions to global heating. Two dozen other US states and municipalities have filed similar legal challenges.
On Sunday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation that would ban all plastic shopping bags from grocery and convenience store checkouts statewide by 2026. Last year, New York sued PepsiCo, accusing the soda and snack company of polluting the Buffalo River with packaging from its products. These actions are part of a broader effort to address the plastic pollution crisis, which is becoming increasingly urgent as the amount of plastic waste in the environment continues to rise.
The Fight Continues
This lawsuit is a significant step in the fight against plastic pollution. It is a reminder that the public is increasingly aware of the environmental and health impacts of plastic and that there is growing demand for accountability from corporations responsible for creating it. It remains to be seen how the lawsuit will play out, but it is clear that the fight against plastic pollution is far from over.
