California sues ExxonMobil for lying about plastic recycling
West Coast state accuses oil giant of misleading consumers for decades into believing single-use plastics could and would be recycled, when the vast majority are released into the environment
ExxonMobil is one of the world’s leading producers of polymers used in plastics. Since the 1970s, the oil company has known that the vast majority of plastic products would not be recycled.
And yet, the company has continued to publicly promote and use clever marketing to make consumers believe that recycling would be the solution. In reality, only 5% of American plastic waste is recycled, the California attorney general said on Monday. The rest ends up in nature, where petroleum-based plastics never fully decompose, but crumble and transform into micro- or nanoplastics that now pollute the ocean floor and even human breast milk.
Through the lawsuit, California is not only seeking compensation from ExxonMobil that could amount to billions of dollars. The state is also seeking to shift the responsibility and cost of plastic pollution from taxpayers and consumers to producers and packagers, in order to stop pollution at the source.
Billy Omeonga graduated in Journalism and Creative Writing. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. I am currently pursuing an MBA at the University of the People in the United States of America. I love activities that involve ideas and critical thinking. I am passionate about nature and protecting the environment. I believe in protecting our planet and its natural resources.
I hate dishonest and pessimistic people. Honesty is an integral part of my view of the world and it is a value in which I strongly believe.
I speak French and English fluently. In my free time, I like to read and play the piano.
Also, I disapprove of the unreliability. I am a reliable person, so I expect a certain level of reliability from those I am reliable to.