A lawsuit filed by the state of New York against PepsiCo alleges that the snack and soda conglomerate has been polluting the Buffalo River in the city of Buffalo with single-use plastic packaging from its products. New York Attorney General Letitia James claims that plastic from Pepsi products has accumulated in the Buffalo River, posing a threat to human health and wildlife. The lawsuit, which is the latest in a series of legal actions aimed at combating plastic pollution in waterways around the world, accuses PepsiCo of misleading the public about the effectiveness of its plastic recycling efforts and failing to warn consumers about the health and environmental risks of plastic packaging.
New York’s attorney general’s office conducted a survey of waste at 13 sites along the Buffalo River and its tributaries, collecting nearly 2,000 pieces of plastic with identifiable branding. The survey found that plastic from Pepsi products accounted for over 17 percent of the trash sampled. Globally, PepsiCo is ranked as the second biggest plastic polluter, according to the environmental group Break Free From Plastic. The company has stated its goal is to have its packaging be recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable by 2025.
In response to the lawsuit, PepsiCo has stated that it is serious about plastic reduction and effective recycling, and is working with various stakeholders to address the issue. The lawsuit seeks to compel PepsiCo to clean up the plastic pollution, add warning labels to products sold in the region, and find a way to reduce the amount of packaging that enters the river. Environmental advocates have lauded the lawsuit as unprecedented and necessary in the fight against plastic pollution, calling on other attorneys general to consider similar legal actions to protect waterways across the nation.
