Surfrider Sues Exxon for Hiding the Truth About Plastic Recycling

The Surfrider Foundation, along with a coalition of environmental partners, is suing Exxon for hiding the truth about the feasibility of plastic recycling and downplaying the environmental and human health risks associated with pollution from their products. This lawsuit marks an important turning point in Surfrider’s ongoing fight against single-use plastic pollution and our efforts to hold corporate polluters accountable.

As our complaint alleges, Exxon, the world’s largest producer of single-use plastic polymers, has spent millions of dollars on public relations efforts to hide the truth about plastic recycling, allowing the public to believe single-use plastics can be safely discarded. Exxon-produced plastic polymer resins are directly responsible for over 6 million metric tons of plastic waste annually — equivalent to the weight of 300,000 garbage trucks. Plastic waste contaminates our environment and our bodies at every stage of its product lifecycle, from extraction to production to pollution.

Surfrider's lawsuit against Exxon is a chance to create a cleaner future for our ocean — and ourselves.