California Sues ExxonMobil Over Plastic Waste and Deceptive Recycling Claims

California has filed a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, accusing the energy corporation of deceiving the public for years about the environmental impact of plastic production. The lawsuit follows a nearly two-year investigation by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, which concluded that Exxon had intentionally misled consumers about the feasibility of plastic recycling while promoting its "advanced recycling" technologies. Bonta issued a statement stating, “Today’s lawsuit provides the most complete picture yet of Exxon Mobil’s decades-long deception, and we are asking the court to hold Exxon Mobil fully accountable.”

The state’s civil suit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, alleges that Exxon Mobil violated several California laws, including those related to false advertising, water pollution, and unfair competition.

Bonta’s investigation revealed that Exxon had been promoting its "advanced recycling" process, which converts hard-to-recycle plastics into fuel through a method called pyrolysis. However, the lawsuit claims that this process has had limited success and only a small fraction of the plastic waste processed ends up being converted into recycled plastic. According to Bonta’s office, the promotion of this technology was largely a "public relations stunt."

Historically, the company has downplayed the environmental impacts of fossil fuel production and plastic manufacturing, suggesting that recycling is a viable solution to plastic pollution. Despite internal warnings dating back to the 1970s regarding the limitations of recycling, ExxonMobil publicly promoted recycling initiatives to deflect calls for regulations and restrictions on plastic use.

The lawsuit is grounded in both state and federal law. Bonta argues that Exxon’s actions constitute a public nuisance under California law, as the plastic pollution generated by the company harms the environment, waterways, and public health. Additionally, the suit claims that Exxon violated California’s false advertising and unfair competition laws by misrepresenting the effectiveness of its recycling efforts.

The state is seeking an injunction to prevent Exxon from "further pollution, impairment, and destruction," as well as to stop the company from making "any further false or misleading statements about plastics recycling and its plastics operations."

Exxon Mobil has rejected the accusations, stating that "suing people makes headlines but doesn’t solve the plastic waste problem." A spokesperson for the company argued that advanced recycling is a legitimate solution and criticized California’s efforts, claiming that “California has done "nothing to 'advance' recycling."