California Targets ExxonMobil With Plastics Recycling Lawsuit

California’s ambitious attorney general, Rob Bonta, filed his long-expected lawsuit targeting ExxonMobil related to plastics recycling Monday, a move that will no doubt result in years of litigation that will linger on long after Bonta has moved on to seek his next political office. It is a case Bonta and his office have hinted at bringing over the course of a two-year investigation into plastics recycling practices in the state.

In the complaint, California targets the company that ranks as the country’s largest recycler of plastics, mainly on claims alleging it is not doing enough. The suit also alleges that ExxonMobil has misled the public about the magnitude of its recycling operations.

“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,” Bonta said. Of course, that same claim has been made hundreds of times over by public officials in hundreds of U.S. cities who have urged citizens to sort their plastics waste into separate bins, knowing full well that the vast majority of the waste placed in those separate bins will simply be dumped into the local landfill due to lack of demand for recycled plastics.

In fact, just last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom boasted about the effectiveness of his state’s recycling centers, claiming in a statement that, “California is taking bold action to transform our recycling systems and reduce the waste filling our landfills and polluting the environment. These modernized recycling sites will make it easier for Californians in every corner of the state to help create a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and the planet.”