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From The Guardian - Climate Change
Summary
A majority of American voters, including 54% of Republicans, believe the plastics industry should be held accountable for misleading recycling claims. Recent polling indicates strong bipartisan support for legal action against the fossil fuel and plastics sectors, with 70% of voters in favor. Concerns about plastic waste and deceptive marketing practices, particularly the misuse of the recycling symbol, are driving this sentiment. Investigations are underway, notably in California, aiming to address these issues.
Highlights -🔍
- Bipartisan Support: 70% of voters back accountability for the plastics industry. 🤝
- Concern Over Plastic Waste: 63% express strong concern about plastic pollution. 🌊
- Deceptive Practices: 62% believe using recycling symbols on non-recyclable plastics is misleading. 🚫
- Historical Knowledge: Producers have known about recycling challenges for decades. 📚
- Legal Investigations: California is investigating the fossil fuel industry’s role in plastic pollution. 🔎
- Public Awareness: Poll results indicate growing awareness of industry deception among voters. 📈
- Ongoing Litigation: Over 60 lawsuits filed against brands for plastic pollution since 2015. ⚖️
Concern about the fossil fuel and plastics industries’ alleged deception about recycling is growing, with new polling showing a majority of American voters, including 54% of Republicans, support legal efforts to hold the sectors accountable.
The industries have faced increasing scrutiny for their role in the global plastics pollution crisis, including an ongoing California investigation and dozens of suits filed over the last decade against consumer brands that sell plastics.
Research published earlier this year found that plastic producers have known for decades that plastic recycling is too cumbersome and expensive to ever become a feasible waste management solution, but promoted it to the public anyway.
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Read the full post at The Guardian - Climate Change.
