Breaking News:

AP

California sues ExxonMobil and says it lied about plastics recycling

Sep 23, 2024, 5:03 PM

FILE - An ExxonMobil fuel storage and distribution facility in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2...

FILE - An ExxonMobil fuel storage and distribution facility in Irving, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California sued ExxonMobil Monday for allegedly lying to consumers globally about recycling.

Listen to ABC News Correspondent Alex Stone talk details on Jeff Caplan’s Afternoon News 👇

 

Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said that less than 5% of plastic is recycled into another plastic product in the U.S.

That’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. All the 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,” Bonta said. Representatives of environmental groups filed a separate but similar lawsuit Monday. Environmental groups also filed that lawsuit 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.

ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest producers of plastics, blamed California for its flawed recycling system.

“For decades, California officials have known their recycling system isn’t effective. They failed to act, and now they seek to blame others. Instead of suing us, they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills,” Lauren Kight, spokesperson for ExxonMobil, said in an email.

Read more: Judge to hear lawsuit against Amendment A

Dozens of U.S. municipalities as well as eight states and Washington, D.C., have sued oil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Those are still making their way through courts, including a lawsuit filed by California a year ago against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. That lawsuit claims they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels.

The lawsuit stems from an investigation Bonta’s office launched in April 2022 into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. That included issuing subpoenas that revealed previously hidden documents, Bonta’s office said.

The complaint alleges violations of California’s nuisance and unfair competition laws and alleges ExxonMobil concealed the harms caused by plastics.

The state filed a day after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a statewide ban on all plastic shopping bags at supermarkets.

Read more: Man accused in apparent assassination attempt wrote note indicating intention to kill Trump

Notre Dame Law School professor Bruce Huber specializes in environmental, natural resources and energy law. He says the state faces an uphill battle in its suit against ExxonMobil despite evidence that plastic manufacturers “have not been forthright” about the challenges of turning old plastics into new items.

“The state’s primary claim relies on public nuisance, a notoriously murky area of law. It could be difficult for a court to grant California relief here without opening a Pandora’s box of other, similar claims,” he said by email.

ExxonMobil knew that plastic is “extremely costly and difficult to eradicate” and that plastic disintegrates into harmful microplastics. Yet it promoted recycling as a key solution through news and social media platforms, according to the state’s lawsuit.

At the same time, it ramped up production of plastics, the lawsuit states.

Lately ExxonMobil has been promoting “advanced recycling” or “chemical recycling,” saying the process will better turn old plastics into new products, the lawsuit states, when only 8% of materials do so.

The ExxonMobil spokesperson said advanced recycling works.

The state hopes to compel ExxonMobil to end its deceptive practices. They also hope to secure an abatement fund and civil penalties for the harm.

Bonta said the contents of the lawsuit will stun many who have participated in recycling. 
“This is a revelation to many, after years and years of a belief that is untrue because they were lied to by ExxonMobil … About the myth of recycling,” he said.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

AP

Multiple groups are saying the federal employee layoffs are likely to have impacts on Utah, especia...

Chris Megerian and MIchelle L. Price

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come

The Trump administration intensified its efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees.

15 hours ago

Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow USAID funds...

ELLEN KNICKMEYER and LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Associated Press

Judge orders Trump administration to temporarily allow funds for foreign aid to flow again

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily lift a three-week funding freeze that has shut down U.S. aid and development programs abroad.

1 day ago

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Independent preside...

Amanda Seitz, Associated Press

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as Trump’s secretary after a close Senate vote

The U.S. Senate has voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s health secretary.

2 days ago

Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's choice to be the Director of National Intelligence, arrives...

David Klepper, Associated Press

Senate confirms Gabbard as Trump’s director of national intelligence after Republicans fall in line

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence after Republicans who had initially questioned her experience and judgment fell in line behind her nomination. Gabbard was an unconventional pick to oversee and coordinate the country’s 18 different intelligence agencies, given her past comments sympathetic to Russia, a meeting she held with […]

3 days ago

Jean-Michel Gisnel cries out while praying with other congregants at the First Haitian Evangelical ...

David Crary, Associated Press

Trump won’t block immigration arrests in houses of worship. Now these 27 religious groups are suing

More than two-dozen Christian and Jewish groups representing millions of Americans filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration move allowing immigration agents to make arrests at houses of worship.

4 days ago

A flag is raised during halftime of the NFL Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl 59 football game between the ...

JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

What’s happening in the Gaza Strip and Sudan that sparked a protest at the Super Bowl halftime show?

A brief protest by a performer at Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show unfurled a flag emblazoned with the words Sudan and Gaza.

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Filing taxes online using a computer...

The Law Offices of Jordan F. Wilcox

Tax time is approaching. What to do if you have debilitating IRS debt

Is the IRS threatening you with wage garnishment, asset seizure or business closure? Here are some ideas to resolve your tax dilemma.

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

California sues ExxonMobil and says it lied about plastics recycling