Exxon Mobil has misled consumers for years by perpetuating the “myth” of plastic recycling, according to a new lawsuit filed in California.
ExxonMobil is the world’s leading producer of single-use plastic waste, according to the state attorney general’s office. The lawsuit alleges that in an effort to encourage people to buy products made from single-use plastic, ExxonMobil “deceived Californians for nearly half a century by promising that recycling could and would solve the growing plastic waste crisis.”
“They clearly knew it was impossible.”
Plastic is difficult to reuse, which is why so little plastic is recycled. Experts warn that using recycling as a panacea for plastic waste may actually lead to more plastic waste becoming litter. Now, California wants to hold industry accountable for plastic pollution that accumulates in the environment, animals and even humans.
“For decades, ExxonMobil has deceived the public into believing that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis, when they clearly knew it was impossible,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. said in a press release yesterday.
The Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into the petrochemical industry’s role in the 2022 “contamination crisis” in manufacturing plastics. The lawsuit accuses ExxonMobil of violating state nuisance, natural resource, water pollution, false advertising and unfair competition laws through misleading marketing about recycling.
The state is suing for civil penalties and disgorgement, which would force the company to hand over any profits it illegally made. California also wants an emissions reduction fund and injunctive relief to stop the company from promoting plastics as recyclable, as it has done for years. The Attorney General’s Office noted that a 12-page ad time The 1989 magazine cited the “desperate need for recycling” as an example of the company’s “deceptive activities.” “Americans have entered an era in which landfilling is no longer the primary method of waste disposal,” the ad said.
By 2015, less than 10% of plastic waste was recycled. Nearly 80% of the 6.3 billion tons of plastic waste generated globally ends up in landfills or littered in the environment.
Even if plastic is reprocessed, it is often “downcycled” because the quality of the material deteriorates with each use. For example, plastic bottles are converted into fibers for carpets instead of new plastic bottles. Gadgets made from recycled plastic often must be reinforced with fresh plastic. It’s often cheaper for companies to use new plastic than recycled materials.
The attorney general claims that the industry’s new narrative of “advanced” or chemical recycling is also flawed because much of the plastic waste that goes through the process is turned into fuel. The state also claims that plastics produced using ExxonMobil’s “advanced recycling” technology contain very little waste material and “are actually virgin plastics.”
ExxonMobil blamed California in an emailed response edge. “California officials have known for decades that their recycling system is ineffective. Instead of taking action, they are now looking to blame others. Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills. .
One of the selling points of plastic is that it is lightweight and easy to transport, a property that also makes it easier for plastic to drift into the environment. Once there, it breaks down into tiny particles called microplastics, which have flooded oceans around the world and are found in everything from seafood to baby poop. About 21 million pounds of plastic waste has been collected from California beaches and waterways since 1985, according to Bonta’s office.
Made from fossil fuels, plastic accounts for 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and causes more climate pollution than global shipping.
“While ‘greenwashing’ is certainly nothing new, the fossil fuel industry in particular frequently downplays its industry’s impact on climate change,” Leehi Yona, a climate and environmental law scholar at Cornell University, said in an emailed statement. “In my opinion, greenwashing is nothing new.” , this latest lawsuit builds on ongoing efforts by many governments to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the various ways they mislead the public about the risks of their products.”
