The attorney general of Californiaqqjili, Rob Bonta, sued Exxon Mobil on Monday alleging that the oil giant carried out a “decades-long campaign of deception” that overhyped the promise of recycling and spawned a plastic pollution crisis.
The lawsuit, filed in superior court in San Francisco, argued that people were more likely to buy single-use plastics because of a false belief, promoted by Exxon Mobil, that they would be recycled. Mr. Bonta said the company is a leading producer of a key component used to make single-use plastics. The suit seeks unspecified damages that Mr. Bonta estimated would amount of “multiple billions of dollars.”
In an interview, Mr. Bonta said plastic pollution was “fueled by the myth of recycling, and the leader among them in perpetuating that myth is Exxon Mobil.”
Exxon Mobil responded sharply, saying California officials knew for decades that their recycling system was ineffective. “They failed to act, and now they seek to blame others,” the company said in a statement. “Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills.”
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe case opens a new front in the legal battles against oil and gas companies over climate and environmental issues. More than two dozen state and local governments, including California, have sued companies for their role in the climate crisis, making claims that the companies deceived the public in a quest for profit. None have gone trial yet.
Several environmental groups hailed Monday’s suit as breaking new ground for government action against a company over alleged deception related to plastic recycling. It came after a more than two-year investigation that included subpoenas to Exxon Mobil and industry groups.qqjili