California, alongside several environmental organizations, has filed a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, accusing the oil giant of perpetuating a decades-long campaign that has significantly contributed to global plastic waste pollution. The lawsuit was announced on Monday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta during an event at Climate Week in New York City.
The state’s legal action follows a comprehensive two-year investigation that Bonta claims reveals Exxon’s deliberate misinformation regarding the limitations of plastic recycling. “Today’s lawsuit provides the clearest picture to date of ExxonMobil’s decades-long deception,” Bonta stated, emphasizing the need for accountability for the company’s role in the escalating plastics crisis. “We are asking the court to hold ExxonMobil fully accountable for its active role in creating and exacerbating this pollution through its campaign of deception.”
This lawsuit is part of California’s broader efforts to challenge Big Oil. The state has previously investigated oil companies for allegedly misleading the public about climate change, showcasing a long-standing adversarial relationship with the industry. Over the past four decades, California’s oil production has steadily declined, as companies have cited a challenging regulatory environment that deters investment. In a notable move, Chevron Corp., a rival of Exxon, has announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Texas, a state perceived as more supportive of oil interests.
In a related legal action, a coalition of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, has filed a similar lawsuit in San Francisco, echoing the allegations made by the state against Exxon. Bonta highlighted specific concerns regarding Exxon’s promotion of its “advanced recycling” technology, which utilizes a process called pyrolysis to convert hard-to-recycle plastics into fuel. He pointed to the technology’s slow progress as evidence of ongoing deception, asserting that the state seeks to establish an abatement fund and impose civil penalties for the harm caused by plastic pollution.
Exxon has responded robustly to the accusations, defending its recycling initiatives. Lauren Kight, a spokesperson for the company, argued that advanced recycling technologies are effective and criticized California for not addressing systemic issues in its own recycling programs. “Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills,” Kight asserted, noting that Exxon has successfully processed over 60 million pounds of plastic waste into usable materials through advanced recycling methods.
Legal experts, however, caution that California may encounter challenges in its lawsuit. Bruce Huber, a professor at Notre Dame Law School who specializes in environmental law, described the state’s primary claim as relying on public nuisance law—a complex and often murky area. “It could be difficult for a court to grant California relief here without opening a Pandora’s box of other, similar claims,” Huber noted.
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According to a report from the Minderoo Foundation, Exxon is the largest global producer of resins used in single-use plastics, which adds to the stakes of this legal battle. Furthermore, previous reports have highlighted significant obstacles faced by the advanced recycling technologies touted by the plastics industry as solutions to the environmental crisis.
This lawsuit arrives at a critical moment, as nations prepare for a final round of negotiations on a global plastic treaty, set to take place in Busan, South Korea, later this year. Disagreement remains among countries over whether the treaty should impose caps on plastic production—an approach opposed by Exxon and other stakeholders in the petrochemical industry. Notably, the United States recently voiced support for a treaty focused on reducing plastic production.
Environmental groups have welcomed California’s lawsuit as a vital step toward accountability. Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, asserted that the legal action will help “hold industry accountable and debunk the plastics recycling narrative that holds us back from real solutions.” As the legal battle unfolds, the outcome may have significant implications for the future of plastic production and recycling worldwide.
