ExxonMobil counters government lawsuit over claims of defamation: 'Manipulated the public and lied to consumers'

Although a heated and complex legal battle has broken out over whether chemical recycling is as beneficial as its proponents claim, the argument essentially boils down to this: One side has accused its opponents of lying, and the other side has responded: "No, you are." 

What's happening?

After California's attorney general and a group of environmental nonprofits sued ExxonMobil in September 2024, alleging that the company had misled the public about its chemical recycling program, the oil giant fired back with a lawsuit of its own, accusing its opponents of defamation. 

Chemical recycling is sometimes known by its industry-preferred euphemism, "advanced recycling."    

At a hearing in late August, a federal judge in Texas heard arguments from both sides in ExxonMobil's defamation case, The New York Times reported. 

"The company has propped up sham solutions, manipulated the public, and lied to consumers," Rob Bonta, the California attorney general, said at the time of the initial lawsuit's filing, according to the Times. "It's time Exxon Mobil pays the price for its deceit."

At the recent hearing, an attorney for ExxonMobil replied, per the Times: "We have advanced recycling down here, we make plastics down here, we do a good job of it, and you're messing with our customers and you're messing with their livelihood in Texas by lying about us."

At the heart of the matter is the argument over whether chemical recycling is a realistic solution to the world's plastic problems or whether it amounts to greenwashing by the same oil industry that profits greatly from plastic production.   

Unlike traditional recycling, which typically involves melting down used plastic so that it can have a new life as a different product, chemical recycling breaks plastic down even further. This process transforms plastic into "an oil-like mixture or basic chemicals," which then can be used to produce plastic pellets, according to an Associated Press report from 2022. 

Meanwhile, environmental advocates have argued that the world cannot recycle its way out of its plastic problem. They have said that industry claims about the feasibility of large-scale recycling have been a long-running distraction from the real issue of ever-growing plastic production, per the AP. 

Why does the argument over plastic recycling matter?

While the two sides debate the issue in the courthouse and in the court of public opinion, one thing is undeniable: The world has a serious plastic problem. 

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According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the world produces more than 500 million tons of plastic each year, with 22 million tons of that plastic ending up in the environment as litter.

Once in the environment, plastic does not disappear. Instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles known as microplastics and their even tinier cousins, nanoplastics. 

While the full scope of the damage that microplastics cause to human health and the environment is not yet known, experts have found microplastics in every corner of the globe and even inside our own vital organs. 

What's being done about plastic pollution?

The question of how to address plastic pollution lies at the core of the legal dispute between the California attorney general and ExxonMobil, the world's largest producer of single-use plastic polymers. 

Environmental advocates have long said that the world needs to significantly reduce plastic production in the first place, while industry has claimed that recycling, including both conventional and chemical recycling, is the answer.

To date, research has strongly indicated that recycling, at least at its current scale, is hugely inadequate compared to the scope of the plastic problem. 

"Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled (15% is collected for recycling, but 40% of that is disposed of as residues)," according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. "Another 19% is incinerated, 50% ends up in landfill, and 22% evades waste management systems."

To help reduce your contribution to plastic waste, you can choose plastic-free options for everyday products and support brands with plastic-free packaging. 

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