California sues ExxonMobil, saying it’s lied for years about the recyclability of plastic

Still waiting on my 10 cents… California sued Exxon yesterday, accusing the oil behemoth of running a deceptive recycling campaign. FYI: Exxon is the world’s largest producer of the resin needed to make single-use plastics like water bottles and straws. The lawsuit is the culmination of a two-year investigation into Exxon’s role in the plastic-pollution crisis. California says that for decades Exxon’s marketing has misled the public into believing that all plastics are recyclable, when the reality is more complicated (only about 5% of US plastic waste gets recycled).

• Water bottled: Exxon was accused of deceptively pushing the green “chasing arrows” symbol on plastic products to make consumers think they were recyclable.

• Full refund: The suit also says Exxon’s “advanced recycling” tech doesn’t create new plastic products but instead turns the waste into fuel.

• If found guilty… Exxon could face billions in fines and have to redistribute money from its plastic profits.

A plasticky situation… Humans produce about 400M tonnes of plastic waste each year, half of which is single-use goods like soda bottles and plastic bags. This pollution threatens marine life and the environment. Energy cos like Exxon and Chevron have long faced criticism for their role in the plastic crisis because nearly all plastic comes from fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Backlash is growing:

• Cap it: The US (the world’s largest plastic producer) is said to have agreed to support a global treaty that would curb plastic production.

• BYOB: Yesterday, California signed a law banning all plastic shopping bags starting in 2026.