The State of California and environmental groups including the Sierra Club say the petrochemical giant always knew recycling wouldn’t work
For 50 years, the plastics industry misled the public about the recyclability of plastic, a “campaign of deception” that sidestepped regulation and increased profits while causing toxic plastic pollution, according to lawsuits filed by the California attorney general and four environmental groups.
Targeting the world’s largest maker of single-use plastic polymers, the suits name ExxonMobil as the defendant, along with several industry front groups. The lawsuits follow a 2022 investigation by California Attorney General Robert Bonta and separate probes by the Sierra Club, the Surfrider Foundation, Heal the Bay, and San Francisco Baykeeper.
During a press conference, Bonta criticized ExxonMobil for increasing single-use plastic production while falsely claiming recyclability. He stated that the company knew recycling disposable plastics was either technically challenging or too expensive. Bonta also dismissed “advanced recycling” as impractical and expensive, recycling only 1 percent or less of plastic waste.
“The company has propped up sham solutions, manipulated the public, and lied to consumers,” Bonta said. “It’s time ExxonMobil pays the price for its deceit.”
Bonta added, “Plastic contaminates our drinking water, strangles wildlife, and blights landscapes. Microplastics have been found in our lungs, maternal and placental tissue, breast milk, and blood. It’s time ExxonMobil is held accountable.”
A central premise of the lawsuits is that in the 1970s and 1980s, the false promise of recyclability persuaded the public and policymakers to accept disposable plastics, benefiting industries like dairies and breweries that previously reused glass bottles. The shift to plastics offloaded disposal costs to taxpayers.
A campaign blaming plastic pollution on consumers, epitomized by the “Crying Indian” advertisement, further distracted from corporate responsibility. The lawsuits argue that plastic recycling was always a sham, citing industry reports and internal documents linked to ExxonMobil.
“The company has brainwashed everyone into thinking that plastic recycling works and it’s good for the planet,” said Segal Choksi-Chugh of San Francisco Baykeeper.
The lawsuits reference a report by the Climate Integrity Project, The Fraud of Plastic Recycling, revealing that only 5 to 6 percent of single-use plastics are recycled in the US. The report claims the “chasing arrows” recycling symbol was an industry marketing gimmick.
The lawsuits aim to hold ExxonMobil accountable with potentially billions of dollars in damages. If successful, the funds could re-educate consumers, clean up plastic pollution, and develop new materials to replace unrecyclable plastics.
The environmental groups seek an injunction to prohibit single-use plastic products. “You have to stop the problem at its source, which is the production of single-use plastics,” said Niall McCarthy, attorney for the environmental groups.
ExxonMobil responded by blaming the public and government for recycling issues, stating, “For decades, California officials have known their recycling system isn’t effective. They failed to act, and now they seek to blame others. Advanced recycling works.”
Other environmental groups praised the lawsuits. “Petrochemical companies have lied about plastic recyclability for years, with dire consequences,” said Julie Teel Simmonds of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Only bold actions like those of Attorney General Bonta can stop Big Oil and the plastics industry from telling lies to keep making harmful products we don’t need.”
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Original Story at www.sierraclub.org