Los Angeles County files lawsuit against Coca-Cola and Pepsi for plastic pollution

Los Angeles County announced Wednesday that it filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and Coca-Cola for their plastic pollution and for allegedly deceiving the public about their product’s recyclability and environmental impact.

This lawsuit also accuses the companies of failing to disclose significant environmental and health harms associated with plastic containers.

“The lawsuit alleges that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have mispresented the environmental impact of plastic beverage containers, claiming that they are ‘recyclable’ despite knowing that plastics cannot be readily disposed of without associated environmental impacts,” the county wrote in a release.

In addition to the waste, the lawsuit said the greenhouse gas emissions from production have negatively impacted and threatened all county residents.

“Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, collectively, own dozens of beverage brands, including Coke, Pepsi, Dasani, Smartwater, Fanta, Aquafina, Gatorade, 7-Up, Sprite, Vitamin Water, and Mountain Dew,” the county said in the release. “Given their significant share of the beverage market, the two companies have been ranked as the world’s top plastic polluters for five consecutive years, with no meaningful accountability for their plastic pollution.”

County officials alleged that the two major companies “engaged in a disinformation campaign,” leading consumers to believe their single-use plastic bottles are environmentally reasonable.

Promoting the creation of a “circular economy,” the county said Coca-Cola and PepsiCo deceived consumers through a false promise that recycling can offset the harm associated with single-use plastic bottles.

“However, in reality, plastic bottles can only be recycled once, if at all, making promises of a ‘circular economy’ impossible,” wrote the county.

Included in the lawsuit is a request for restitution for consumers and civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation. 

The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison on behalf of the People of the State of California, and a copy of the complaint is available here.