California sues ExxonMobil and says it lied about plastics recycling
California is suing ExxonMobil for allegedly deceiving the public for half a century by promising that recycling would address the global plastics pollution crisis
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California sued ExxonMobil Monday, alleging the oil giant deceived the public for half a century by promising that the plastics it produced would be recycled.
Attorney General Rob Bonta's office said that less than 5% of plastic is recycled into another plastic product in the U.S. even though the items are labeled as “recyclable.” As a result, landfills and oceans are filled with plastic waste, creating a global pollution crisis, while consumers diligently place plastic water bottles and other containers into recycling bins, the lawsuit alleges.
“'Buy as much as you want, no problem, it’ll be recycled,' they say. Lies, and they aim to make us feel less guilty about our waste if we recycle it,” said Bonta, a Democrat, at a virtual news conference, where he was joined by representatives of environmental groups that filed a separate but similar lawsuit Monday, also in San Francisco County Superior Court.
“The end goal is to drive people to buy, buy, buy and to drive ExxonMobil’s profits up, up, up,” he said.
