California sues ExxonMobil over alleged role in plastic pollution crisis
First-of-its-kind suit comes as climate experts claim that fossil fuel producers are deceiving public about plastics

Dharna Noor
Mon 23 Sep 2024 10.48 EDT

California has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against ExxonMobil for allegedly deceiving the public about the plastic pollution crisis, the state’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, announced on Monday.

“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 in a statement.

The announcement comes amid increasing public concern about the plastic sector’s environmental and climate impact.

Two years ago, Bonta launched an investigation into fossil fuel and petrochemical producers “for their role in causing and exacerbating the global plastics pollution crisis”. As part of the investigation, he issued a subpoena to the oil giant ExxonMobil and plastic trade groups, seeking related documents.

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