By Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – California will conclude by this summer a two-year investigation into Exxon (NYSE) and the fossil fuel industry’s role in causing global plastic pollution and will decide whether to file a lawsuit against the giant oil, its attorney general told Reuters. Monday.
The state launched an investigation into the oil and petrochemical industry’s role in creating and exacerbating the global plastic waste crisis in April 2022 and subpoenaed Exxon for the documents.
The plastics investigation mirrors similar actions taken on climate change, focusing on what the industry has known about the problem for decades and how it has misled the public about its role.
“We will soon be ready to make a decision in the coming weeks based on all of our investigations,” Attorney General Rob Bonta told Reuters. “The lies and deceptions used by Exxon to hide the truth about the non-recyclability of plastic are well documented.”
Exxon said it does not comment on ongoing investigations. In 2022, the company called the state’s allegations “meritless” and said it was focused on solutions to improve waste management.
Bonta said he had planned to attend the start of negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution, which begins Tuesday in Ottawa, but had to cancel them due to scheduling conflicts.
“In an ideal world we could have made an announcement in Ottawa as part of a discussion about where we go from here, but that hasn’t worked,” he said.
The California investigation focused on what it called a “half-century campaign of deception” by fossil fuel companies that perpetuate “recycling myths.”
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Bonta said he also sought information on Exxon’s most recent promotion of its “advanced recycling” technology, which uses a process called pyrolysis to turn hard-to-recycle plastic into fuel, as a response to the plastic waste crisis. He said the slow progress of the technology is a sign of Exxon’s “continued deception.”
The company currently has about a dozen advanced recycling projects. The goal is to have the capacity to process 1 billion pounds of plastic waste by the end of 2026.
Exxon signed an agreement in 2021 to collaborate with Plastic Energy on advanced recycling in which Exxon agreed to create high-quality plastic polymers at its plant in France. Last week Exxon announced it would close that facility.
A Reuters investigation found that advanced recycling projects around the world have been plagued by numerous delays and failures even as companies touted their success.