[Source – politico]
California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit on Monday against Exxon Mobil, accusing the oil giant of misleading the public for decades about the potential of recycling to address plastic pollution. The suit alleges that Exxon Mobil conducted a “decades-long campaign of deception” to overstate the effectiveness of recycling, leading to increased plastic pollution across the country. The lawsuit marks a major development in the fight against plastic waste, holding a major corporation accountable for its role in promoting single-use plastics under false pretences.
At the core of the lawsuit, the California Attorney alleges that Exxon Mobil perpetuated the myth that single-use plastics would be recycled, encouraging consumers to use more of these products. Rob Bonta emphasised that Exxon Mobil is a key producer of the chemical compounds used in manufacturing these plastics. The state seeks unspecified damages, which Bonta estimates could reach “multiple billions of dollars,” to address the environmental harm caused by Exxon Mobil’s alleged actions.
Allegations of Deceptive Practices and Environmental Impact
At the heart of the lawsuit is the claim that Exxon Mobil perpetuated the myth of recycling as a solution to plastic pollution, all while contributing to the problem. “Plastic pollution was fueled by the myth of recycling, and the leader among them in perpetuating that myth is Exxon Mobil,” Bonta stated in an interview. According to the lawsuit, the company promoted the idea that single-use plastic products would be recycled, encouraging consumers to buy more plastic products, but in reality, only a small percentage of plastic waste in the U.S. is actually recycled.
The lawsuit specifically points out Exxon Mobil’s role in promoting the widely recognized “chasing arrows” recycling symbol on plastic products, which led consumers to believe their plastic bottles and other items would be properly recycled. However, data cited by Bonta’s office from the advocacy group Beyond Plastics indicates that only about 5 percent of plastic waste in the United States was recycled as of 2021. The bulk of plastic waste ends up in landfills, in waterways, or as pollution, contributing to a growing environmental crisis.
Exxon Mobil, however, pushed back against the lawsuit, California attorney saying officials have long been aware of the limitations of the recycling system. In a statement, the company argued, “They failed to act, and now they seek to blame others. Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills.”
A New Legal Front in the Fight Against Plastic Pollution
The California attorney’s case against Exxon Mobil is part of a broader trend of lawsuits targeting oil and gas companies for their environmental impact. Over two dozen state and local governments, including California, have filed lawsuits accusing these companies of contributing to climate change and deceiving the public in pursuit of profit. While none of these cases have gone to trial yet, the lawsuit filed by Bonta represents a new front in legal efforts, focusing specifically on plastic pollution and recycling claims.
Environmental advocates have praised the lawsuit, seeing it as a groundbreaking step in the global effort to combat plastic pollution. Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, called the lawsuit “the most important legal action to date in the global fight against plastic pollution.”
In addition to the state’s lawsuit, several environmental organisations—including the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and San Francisco Baykeeper—filed their own suit on Monday, citing violations of state nuisance and unfair-competition laws by Exxon Mobil. Both lawsuits focus on the company’s promotion of misleading recycling claims, and the environmental damage that resulted from them.
The case has the potential to redefine corporate responsibility in addressing plastic pollution and may open the door for further legal actions against other companies that contributed to the crisis through deceptive practices.
