By Matthieu Swigonski | Published
For decades, Pepsi and Coca-Cola have engaged in a bitter and bitter rivalry, battling it out to see which of the two beverage companies can come out on top and claim the soft drink throne. But ultimately, after all these sugar-laden years, the two societies have something in common that will force them to put aside their differences and work together to defeat an enemy. In a lawsuit filed Oct. 30 in a Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles County alleged that Pepsi and Coca-Cola deliberately misled the public about the extent to which their plastic bottles were recycled, thereby causing an impact negative on the environment.
Soft drinks and the war on pollution
According to the Coke and Pepsi lawsuit, Los Angeles County claims the two companies not only downplayed their role in increasing pollution around the world, but also impacted the health of millions of people. people due to the prevalence of microplastics.
In a statement regarding the lawsuit, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath clearly accused each company of not acting in good faith. “Coke and Pepsi need to stop this deception and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problems caused by your products,” Horvath said. “Los Angeles County will continue to combat the serious environmental impacts caused by companies that engage in deceptive and unfair business practices. »
The Los Angeles County lawsuit claims that Coke and Pepsi should be held liable because of these companies’ stranglehold on the bottled beverage market, which accounts for an overwhelming percentage of the plastic pollution currently affecting many parts of the world, especially in Los Angeles. As of 2024, Coke owns beverage brands such as Dasani, Fanta, Sprite, Vitamin Water and Smartwater. Meanwhile, Pepsi currently owns brands like Gatorade, Aquafina, Mountain Dew, and Lipton.
Make up a large amount of plastic pollution combined
According to a recent study by a research team led by data scientist Win Cowger, Coke and its brands are responsible for 11% of all plastic pollution plaguing our environment, with Pepsi accounting for another 5% of the pollution.
Over the past five years, both beverage companies have been ranked among the world’s biggest plastic polluters, with Coca-Cola continually holding the top spot. In the research team’s analysis, they concluded that Coke produces about 3.224 million tons of plastic per year, and Pepsi produces about 2.5 million tons each year.
As of November 2, neither Coke nor Pepsi had commented on the allegations contained in the lawsuit, although they have refuted previous claims that their plastic products were not recyclable. William Dermody, vice president of media and public affairs for the American Beverage Association, whose members include Coke and Pepsi, denied that the beverage companies deliberately misled the public. “The claim that our packaging is not and will not be recycled is simply false,” Dermody said.
Won a similar lawsuit in New York
This isn’t the first time that Pepsi or Coke have each faced a lawsuit over the prevalence of their plastic waste polluting the environment. On October 31, Pepsi won the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by New York accusing the beverage maker of polluting the environment with single-use plastic packaging. New York Attorney General Letitia James sought to hold Pepsi responsible for endangering Buffalo’s water supply by generating 17% of the plastic waste found in and near the Buffalo River, but the presiding judge l The case dismissed the case, saying pollution was the responsibility of consumers, not the company, to meet recycling guidelines.
Source: AP News