Rebecca Manzi Los Angeles County has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, accusing them of worsening plastic pollution and deceiving consumers about the recyclability of packaging
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Los Angeles County has filed a suit against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola for their significant contribution to plastic pollution, and for misguiding consumers about the actual recyclability of their packaging.
Filed on October 30 in Los Angeles Superior Court, the complaint seeks to hold the companies responsible for the environmental harm caused by their single-use plastic. The complaint suggests that, although PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have issued sustainability commitments, millions of the plastic bottles the companies produce cannot actually be recycled, and instead commonly end up in landfills or as litter in the environment.
Questioning “Circularity” of packaging claims
Los Angeles County specifically challenges the companies for their claims about the “circularity” of its packaging. The lawsuit takes issue with the companies’ claims, contending that plastic can only be recycled once-if at all-making it difficult to create a genuinely circular economy.
“They must take responsibility for environmental damage”
The county also said that plastic production and disposal greatly contributes to land pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases, thus adding to climate change.
“Plastic pollution is an issue that requires urgent action,” said Lindsey Horvath, the chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
“Coca-Cola and Pepsi need to stop lying to consumers and own up to the role their products are playing in the harm facing our environment.”
The county is also seeking penalties for claimed devious marketing practices and is pushing along measures which will enforce the companies to use less virgin plastic.
Meanwhile, the 2023 Global Brand Audit report by Break Free From Plastic named Coca-Cola the world’s top plastic polluter for the sixth year consecutively, followed by other majors like PepsiCo and Nestlé.
Data indicates that Coca-Cola produces 3.5 million tons of plastic each year, while PepsiCo produces about 2.8 million tons per year. This is definitely a sure indication of the very high contribution of both corporations to global plastic accumulation.
PepsiCo and Coca-Cola countered through the American Beverage Association by calling the accusations meritless and adding that they were working to increase the recycling rates. However, it is less than 10% of plastic produced globally which is actually recycled, according to a United Nations Environment Programme report- questioning the efficiency of their efforts.
The lawsuit from Los Angeles County is part of a spate of legal actions across the United States-including one filed by the state of New York-seeking to address plastic pollution and to challenge companies to change their practices in ways that lessen environmental harm.
Source: COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
