New York Sues PepsiCo Due To Pollution Along Buffalo River
OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
2:25 PM – Thursday, November 16, 2023
New York’s Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo in an effort to hold the soda-and-snack company accountable for pollution of its products that ends up in rivers.
On Wednesday, James accused PepsiCo of producing a large amount of litter and pollution to the environment, as well as endangering the well-being of the public after its single-use plastics were found along the Buffalo River.
The lawsuit, which was filed in state Supreme Court, is attempting to mandate PepsiCo and its subsidiaries, Frito-Lay Inc. and Frito-Lay North America Inc., to “clean up its mess.”
Single-use plastic packaging, involving food wrappers and plastic bottles, have been located along the shores of the Buffalo River and nearby areas, polluting and contaminating drinking water supply for the city of Buffalo.
The lawsuit asserted that by the company producing so much plastic, the environment has been extremely damaged.
“No company is too big to ensure that their products do not damage our environment and public health. All New Yorkers have a basic right to clean water, yet PepsiCo’s irresponsible packaging and marketing endanger Buffalo’s water supply, environment, and public health,” James said in a statement.
The lawsuit additionally claimed that PepsiCo is one of the biggest contributors to the plastic waste contamination problem occurring at the Buffalo River. According to a 2022 survey administered by the state Office of the Attorney General, out of the 1,916 pieces of plastic waste that contained a well-known brand, 17.1% were manufactured by PepsiCo.
Jill Jedlicka, the executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, made a statement regarding Buffalo River’s contamination issue.
“Our Buffalo community fought for over 50 years to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up toxic pollution, improve habitat, and restore communities around the Buffalo River,” said Jedlicka. “We will not sit idly by as our waterways become polluted again, this time from ever-growing single-use plastic pollution.”
New York’s attorney general also requested in the lawsuit that PepsiCo stop all product sales and distribution in the Buffalo area without informing customers of the possible health and environmental hazards associated with the product’s packaging.
Additionally, the lawsuit aims to prevent the company from adding to the plastic pollution that is bothering the people in the Buffalo region and to create a plan to lessen the amount of single-use plastics it releases into the Buffalo River.
PepsiCo, whose headquarters are located in New York, manufactures and packages around 85 different drink brands, including Gatorade and Pepsi, and approximately 25 snack food brands that are mainly produced in single-use plastic containers.
Over recent years, PepsiCo has consistently promised that it would make a great effort to help reduce the use of plastics. However, the lawsuit reports that the opposite is occurring, and that the company lied to the public about its efforts to fight plastic pollution.
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What are the environmental and public health risks associated with PepsiCo’s packaging and marketing practices?
TeAG/status/1663871513696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>November 16, 2023
The Attorney General’s Office also shared data that indicates PepsiCo produced approximately 5.7 billion pounds of plastic packaging in the previous year alone. This amount is said to weigh as much as seven Empire State Buildings. With such massive quantities of plastic being produced, it comes as no surprise that a significant amount of trash found along the Buffalo River is composed of Pepsi’s plastic packaging.
Plastic pollution is a widespread concern globally, and New York state’s lawsuit against PepsiCo highlights the need for corporations to take responsibility for their impact on the environment. Single-use plastics, such as food wrappers and plastic bottles, contribute significantly to plastic pollution and pose immense threats to the ecosystem and public health.
According to the lawsuit, PepsiCo’s irresponsible packaging and marketing practices endanger not only the city of Buffalo’s water supply but also its environment and public health. The accumulation of single-use plastics along the shores of the Buffalo River has led to the contamination of the drinking water supply, jeopardizing the basic right of New Yorkers to clean water.
New York’s Attorney General Letitia James emphasized that no company should be exempt from ensuring that their products do not harm the environment and public health. She asserted that all New Yorkers have the fundamental right to clean water, and PepsiCo’s practices have infringed upon this right.
The lawsuit aims to hold PepsiCo and its subsidiaries, Frito-Lay Inc. and Frito-Lay North America Inc., accountable for the pollution caused by their products. The state is seeking to enforce measures that would require PepsiCo to clean up the litter and contamination resulting from its single-use plastics.
Environmental organizations and activists have long called for stricter regulations on plastic use and waste management. The lawsuit against PepsiCo serves as a reminder that corporations must prioritize sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to reduce the harmful impact of plastic waste on ecosystems and public health.
PepsiCo’s case is not unique, as several other companies have faced legal action and public scrutiny for their contribution to plastic pollution. This lawsuit sheds light on the urgent need for companies to adopt alternative packaging materials and recycling initiatives to mitigate the damage caused by single-use plastics.
As the lawsuit unfolds, the outcome will likely set a precedent for future litigation against corporations that fail to address their responsibility in environmental preservation. It is vital for governments, organizations, and individuals to collectively work towards reducing plastic waste and finding sustainable solutions that protect our water resources and natural habitats.
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