Plastic recyclability class action overview:
- Who: Kansas County sued the plastic industry, including Exxon and Chevron.
- Why: The county alleges decades of deceptive practices regarding the recyclability of plastic products.
- Where: The lawsuit was filed in a Kansas federal court.
A Kansas county filed a class action lawsuit against major plastics producers and their trade associations, alleging decades of deceptive practices regarding the recyclability of plastic products.
Plaintiff Ford County, Kansas, filed the class action complaint against corporations such as ExxonMobil, Chevron USA and Dow Chemical on Nov. 27 in a Kansas federal court, alleging negligence and misrepresentation.
The lawsuit seeks to hold the corporations accountable for environmental and economic damages linked to the global plastic waste crisis, it says.
It also accuses the corporations of falsely promoting the idea that plastics are recyclable, despite knowing that only a fraction of plastics ever undergo recycling.
Ford County alleges this widespread deception fueled consumer demand, inflated plastic prices and worsened landfill sanitation issues in communities nationwide.
“Despite their long-standing knowledge that recycling plastic is neither technically nor economically viable, petrochemical companies… have engaged in fraudulent marketing and public education campaigns,” the class action lawsuit states.
Ford County likens these actions to campaigns by tobacco and opioid manufacturers, which misled the public to protect profits.
The lawsuit also names the American Chemistry Council, a trade group representing the chemical and plastics industries, as complicit in perpetuating the false recyclability narrative.
County seeks court order to stop misleading plastic claims
The lawsuit claims more than 90% of plastics produced between 1950 and 2015 were landfilled, incinerated or leaked into the environment. These plastics allegedly now contaminate ecosystems and even human bodies. Research cited in the complaint estimates that humans ingest up to five grams of microplastics per week—the weight of a credit card.
Ford County seeks a court order to stop misleading claims about plastics recycling and demands financial compensation to offset the mounting costs of plastic waste management.
The county also calls for abatement measures to remove and properly dispose of improperly managed plastic waste.
In November, Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit against beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, alleging the companies misled consumers about recycling’s effectiveness in reducing plastic waste.
What do you think of the allegations in this plastic recyclability class action? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Rex A. Sharp, Isaac L. Diel, W. Greg Wright, Hammons P. Hepner and Brandon C. Landt of Sharp Law LLP; Dave Rebein of Rebein Brothers PA; and Glenn I. Kerbs and Samantha F. Sweley of Kerbs Law Office LLC.
The plastic recyclability class action is Ford County, Kansas v. Exxon Mobil Corporation. et al., Case No. 2:24-cv-02547, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas.
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4 thoughts onExxon, Chevron, others lie about plastic recyclability, class action alleges
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Add me please.
Research cited in the complaint estimates that humans ingest up to five grams of microplastics per week,very scary and glad this is now being addressed.
The same thing is going on In Alabama