PepsiCo Faces Legal Battle Over Plastic Pollution in New York
New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo, accusing the global food and beverage giant of contributing to environmental harm and misleading the public regarding its efforts to reduce single-use plastic.
The lawsuit, filed in state court in Erie County, claims that PepsiCo's products, including wrappers, bottles, and crisp (chip) packets, were the largest identifiable contributors to trash along the Buffalo River, comprising over 17% of the identifiable trash. Ms. James argues that this contributes to a public nuisance and poses potential health hazards to New Yorkers.
Ms. James is seeking unspecified damages and demanding that PepsiCo take action to remedy the contamination in the Buffalo region caused by its plastic packaging. She is also calling for a reduction in the quantity of PepsiCo's plastic entering the river and a halt to the sale of their single-use plastic products without "adequate" warning labels in the Buffalo area.
In response to the allegations, a PepsiCo spokeswoman stated, "PepsiCo is serious about plastic reduction and effective recycling, and has been transparent in our journey to reduce the use of plastic and accelerate new packaging innovation."
While PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., has committed to making all packaging "recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable" by 2025, Ms. James's office claims the company has not followed through on its sustainability goals. The lawsuit echoes similar legal actions in other states, signalling a growing trend of legal scrutiny over environmental claims made by major corporations.
