Matthew Swigonski issued
For decades, Pepsi and Coke have been in a fierce and hilarious competition, fighting hard to see which of the two beverage companies can rise to the top and claim the soft drink throne as their own. But after such fruitful years, both companies have finally found common ground that compels them to put aside their differences and work together to defeat their enemies. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on October 30, Los Angeles County alleges that Pepsi and Coke intentionally mislead the public about how recyclable their plastic bottles are, leading to negative environmental impacts. He claimed that there was.
Soft drinks and the fight against pollution
According to the Coke and Pepsi lawsuits, Los Angeles County claims that both companies are not only downplaying their roles in the world’s growing pollution, but also that the spread of microplastics is impacting the health of millions of people. It is claimed that there is.
In a statement regarding the lawsuit, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath slammed the companies for not acting in good faith. “Coke and Pepsi need to stop deceiving and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problem their products are causing,” Horvath said. “Los Angeles County continues to address the serious environmental impacts caused by companies that engage in misleading and unfair business practices.”
The Los Angeles County lawsuit stems from the companies’ stranglehold on the bottled beverage market, where Coke and Pepsi account for the overwhelming share of the plastic pollution currently plaguing many parts of the world, especially Los Angeles. They claim that they should be held responsible. As of 2024, Coke owns beverage brands such as Dasani, Fanta, Sprite, Vitamin Water, and Smart Water. Pepsi, on the other hand, currently owns brands such as Gatorade, Aquafina, Mountain Dew, and Lipton.
Combined with plastic pollution, it adds up to a significant amount.
A recent study by a research team led by data scientist Wynn Cowger found that Coke and its stable of brands are responsible for 11 percent of all plastic pollution plaguing the environment, with Pepsi contributing even more to the pollution. It is said to account for 5%.
For the past five years, two beverage companies have been ranked among the world’s top polluters of plastic, with Coke continuing to hold the top spot. The researchers’ analysis concluded that Coke produces about 3.224 million tons of plastic per year, while Pepsi produces about 2.5 million tons of plastic per year.
As of November 2, neither Coke nor Pepsi had commented on the allegations in the lawsuit, but they have rejected 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 beverage companies were intentionally misleading the public. “The claim that our packaging is not and will not be recycled is simply not true,” Dermody said.
Won a similar lawsuit in New York
This is not the first time Pepsi and Coke have faced lawsuits over the prevalence of plastic waste polluting the environment. On October 31, Pepsi won the dismissal of a New York state lawsuit accusing the beverage company of polluting the environment with single-use plastic packaging. New York Attorney General Letitia James had sought to hold Pepsi responsible for endangering Buffalo’s water supply by generating 17 percent of the plastic waste found in and around the Buffalo River. The judge presiding over the case dismissed the case, arguing that the contamination was: It is the responsibility of consumers, not businesses, to adhere to recycling guidelines.
sauce: Associated Press
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