State files first-of-its-kind lawsuit against major industry: 'Deceiving the public ... when they clearly knew this wasn't possible'

The state of California has made history after filing the first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ExxonMobil, according to an article published in NPR. California is suing the major oil and gas company for deceiving the public about the effectiveness of plastic recycling. 

What's happening?

California is the first state to hold big oil and gas accountable for misleading the public about recycling. 

The state's lawsuit alleges that Exxon has known for decades that recycling would not solve the current plastic waste crisis. However, despite this information, the company continued to promote plastic recycling as an effective solution for curbing the enormous amount of plastic waste across the globe. 

The California attorney general's office filed the lawsuit, claiming that Exxon encouraged the public to use plastic by falsely emphasizing the effectiveness of recycling. 

"For decades, ExxonMobil has been deceiving the public to convince us that plastic recycling could solve the plastic waste and pollution crisis when they clearly knew this wasn't possible," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement, per NPR. 

In response to the lawsuit, ExxonMobil spokesperson Lauren Kight issued a statement asserting plastic recycling works: "To date, we've processed more than 60 million pounds of plastic waste into usable raw materials, keeping it out of landfills."

To put that number in context, the state of California alone handles more than 10 billion pounds of plastic each year, per reports by NPR. As a result, recycling alone is nowhere near enough to successfully fight plastic pollution. 

The lawsuit outlines a two-fold solution. California is asking Exxon to create an "abatement" fund to support cleanups and plastic breakdown research. Further, the lawsuit suggests Exxon's fund establishes a "re-education" campaign so consumers understand that plastics are not 100% recyclable. 

Why is California's lawsuit important?

California's lawsuit against ExxonMobil is the first legal action against a major oil and gas company for misleading the public on recycling efficacy. As big oil and gas firms continue to mine for non-renewable energy sources, they emit harmful, planet-warming gases into the environment. 

What's worse: these companies try to hide their wasteful practices behind recycling programs that don't actually help the plastic waste crisis. By filing a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, California is forcing big oil and gas to recognize their role in the current climate crisis.

What's being done about big oil and gas' false advertising?

The state of California is holding ExxonMobil accountable for decades of false advertising, with the goal of setting a precedent for future cases. By suing Exxon for deceiving the public, California is calling on Exxon to change how it communicates information regarding the environment. 

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