Los Angeles County announced Wednesday that it has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola over plastic pollution and misleading the public about the recyclability and environmental impact of their products.
The lawsuit also accuses both companies of failing to disclose serious environmental and health hazards associated with plastic packaging.
“The lawsuit alleges that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo sold plastic beverages by claiming they were “recyclable,” even though they knew that plastic could not be easily disposed of without environmental impact. “We allege that the container misrepresented its environmental impact,” the county said in a statement.
In addition to waste, the lawsuit said the greenhouse gas emissions associated with production negatively impact and threaten all county residents.
“Together, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo own dozens of beverage brands, including Coke, Pepsi, Dasani, Smartwater, Fanta, Aquafina, Gatorade, 7-Up, Sprite, Vitamin Water, and Mountain Dew.” The county pointed out. release. “Given their large shares of the beverage market, both companies have been ranked as the world’s top plastic polluters for five consecutive years, yet there has been no meaningful accountability for plastic pollution.”
The county alleges that the two major companies “engaged in a disinformation campaign” that led consumers to believe that single-use plastic bottles were environmentally friendly.
The county promotes building a “circular economy,” saying Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are deceiving consumers with false promises that recycling can offset the harm associated with single-use plastic bottles.
“In reality, however, plastic bottles can only be recycled once, if at all, making the promise of a ‘circular economy’ impossible,” the county wrote.
The lawsuit includes claims for consumer restitution and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by County Attorney Doin R. Harrison on behalf of Californians, and a copy of the complaint is available here.
