California is suing ExxonMobil, accusing the company of a prolonged campaign to mislead the public about the feasibility of plastic recycling.
The lawsuit was filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta in San Francisco Superior Court during New York Climate Week, a major event that gathers leaders from various sectors, including business, technology, politics, and academia. The state seeks billions of dollars in damages for plastic pollution, which they allege ExxonMobil is responsible for.
The suit claims ExxonMobil has promoted plastic recycling as a viable solution, despite knowing that most plastic products are unlikely to be recycled. “ExxonMobil knows that the vast majority of plastic products are not and likely cannot be recycled,” Bonta stated.
In response to the lawsuit, ExxonMobil said they have processed over 60 million pounds (30,000 tons) of plastic waste at their advanced recycling facility in Baytown, Texas, since 2021.
However, recycling remains challenging. For example, in 2023, Houston processed over 500,000 tons of recycling, yet only 18%, or 91,000 tons, was successfully recycled, with the remainder ending up in landfills. This highlights how much plastic, even when intended for recycling, often ends up in landfills.
Media reporters explored the difficulties of recycling plastic, noting different methods like mechanical recycling, which they observed at the University of Houston. This differs from ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling processes at their Baytown facility, which media has been in discussions about touring for several months.
