LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County filed a lawsuit Wednesday against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola for their alleged role in negative impacts on the environment and public health.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also contends that the cola companies made misrepresentations about the recyclability of plastic beverage containers and have failed to disclose significant environmental and health harms associated with the use of plastic beverage containers.
Recycling using current methods is incapable of eliminating environmental impacts and most plastic containers end up at landfills or as litter, according to the suit, which additionally contends that the production, disposal and recycling of plastic generates greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts that negatively impact county residents.
“Los Angeles County is committed to reducing the use of plastic and protecting the environment,” said Lindsey Horvath, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “Coke and Pepsi need to stop the deception and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problems your products are causing. Los Angeles County will continue to address the serious environmental impacts caused by companies engaging in misleading and unfair business practices.”
Representatives for the companies could not be immediately reached for comment.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, collectively, own Coke, Pepsi, Dasani, Smartwater, Fanta, Aquafina, Gatorade, 7-Up, Sprite, Vitamin Water, and Mountain Dew. The two companies have been ranked as the world’s top plastic polluters for five consecutive years and have had no meaningful accountability for their plastic pollution, the suit alleges.
The suit further states that PepsiCo and Coca-Cola engaged in a disinformation campaign to make consumers falsely believe that purchasing their products in single-use plastic bottles is an environmentally responsible choice. But because plastic does not biodegrade naturally in the environment and instead turns into smaller pieces, the products accumulate and pollute land and water sources, contaminating natural resources, harming the environment and wildlife, and threatening public health, according to the complaint.
The county also alleges PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have made false promises that they would increase the use of recycled plastic by certain percentages and eliminate the use of virgin plastic.
The lawsuit asks a judge to issue an order to stop the companies’ alleged unfair and deceptive business practices, provide restitution for consumers, and pay civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation.
