California has filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, accusing the natural gas giant of misleading the public for decades about the effectiveness of recycled plastic the company produces. [emphasis, links added]
State Attorney General Rob Bonta revealed Monday that his office has filed a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil after a two-year investigation into the company.
The 147-page complaint alleges that ExxonMobil has been deceiving consumers for at least 50 years and that the state claims has “created and exacerbated the global plastic pollution crisis.”
In a news release issued Sunday, Bonta's office accused ExxonMobil of making recycling commitments to address the amount of plastic waste the company generates.
“Plastic is everywhere, from the deepest depths of our oceans, to the highest peaks on Earth, and even inside our bodies, causing irreversible consequences for our environment and potential health in known and unknown ways,” Bonta said in a statement. damage.
“For decades, ExxonMobil has deceived the public into believing that plastic recycling can solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis, when they clearly know this is impossible.”
In the lawsuit, Bonta targets ExxonMobil's use of “advanced recycling,” also known as chemical recycling.
The Attorney General claims this process resulted in 92% of plastic waste is not recycledthe amount of plastic produced through this technology is small, accounting for less than one percent of the company's total plastic production capacity.
The lawsuit also accuses the company of announcing unachievable recycling goals while falsely advertising that all plastics are recyclable.
For example, Complaint alleges Exxon Mobil uses 'chasing arrow' symbol on its productshas long been associated with recycling. therefore, The attorney general's office alleged that the alleged misleading practices led consumers to purchase more single-use plastic than would otherwise have been the case.
“ExxonMobil lied to further its record profits at the expense of our planet and potentially our health,” Bonta said.
“Today's lawsuit presents the most comprehensive picture yet of ExxonMobil's decades-long deception, and we ask the court to hold ExxonMobil fully accountable for its deceptive activities that actively created and exacerbated the plastic pollution crisis. responsibility.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, specifically alleges Exxon violated the state's nuisance, natural resource, water pollution, false advertising and unfair competition laws.
According to the release, Bonta is seeking nuisance abatement, disgorgement, civil penalties and an injunction to protect the state from additional contamination and prevent ExxonMobil from “making any impact on plastic recycling and its plastics operations.” further false or misleading statements”.
ExxonMobil has since slammed the lawsuit and said Reuters, “Suing people makes headlines, but it doesn't solve the plastic waste problem. Advanced recycling is a real solution.
An Exxon Mobil spokesperson told washington examiner:
“California officials have known for decades that their recycling system is ineffective. They failed to take action and now seek to blame others. Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to solve the problem and keep plastic out of landfills.
“The first step is to acknowledge what our American counterparts know: advanced recycling efforts. So far, We've processed more than 60 million pounds of plastic waste into usable raw materials, keeping it out of landfills. We are bringing real solutions to recycle plastic waste that cannot be recycled using traditional methods.
Read the rest of the Washington Examiner
