Air Date: Week of November 8, 2024

Both PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola Company have been sued by Los Angeles County for allegedly misleading claims about plastic recycling. (Photo: josecarlosfernandez, Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The County of Los Angeles is suing beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo over alleged deceptive marketing around plastics recycling. Coke and Pepsi as well as other brands they own including Mountain Dew, Sprite, Gatorade, and Smartwater are often packaged in single-use plastic bottles, which are not infinitely recyclable despite what many consumers allegedly have been led to believe.

Transcript

DOERING: A brief update now on attempts to rein in plastic waste. Major negotiations aimed at a treaty curtailing plastics worldwide resume later in November in Busan, South Korea. But many localities are not waiting for the international community to act. On October 30th the County of Los Angeles sued Coca-Cola and PepsiCo over plastic. These two companies dominate the carbonated beverage market with Coke and Pepsi of course, but they also sell Mountain Dew, Sprite, Gatorade, Smartwater, and more, typically in plastic containers. L.A. County alleges that PepsiCo and Coca-Cola used misleading marketing tactics to convince consumers that their plastic bottles could and would be recycled. Though California has one of the highest plastic bottle recycling rates in the country, around 70%, that still means some 3.5 billion bottles are not recycled every year in the Golden state. These end up anywhere from landfills to waterways. According to the L.A. County complaint, plastic makes up seven out of ten litter products found on California’s prized beaches. And nationwide, only about 5 or 6% of all plastic is recycled. Even the bottles that are recycled are often "downcycled," meaning that they are processed into something that can't be used again, such as plastic furniture or fuel. It’s unclear what the penalties could be if the companies lose the lawsuit. While L.A. County is seeking $2,500 in damages per "violation," it’s unknown what might count as a violation if it succeeds. The State of California is also targeting plastic pollution. In September, the Attorney General sued ExxonMobil over its allegedly misleading marketing practices around recycling of plastic made with its fossil fuel products. As concerns grow regarding the environmental and health impacts of plastic waste, we will continue to follow the issue including these cases in California and the international efforts for a treaty on plastics.

Links

AP News | “Los Angeles County Sues Pepsi and Coca-Cola Over Plastic Bottles”