PepsiCo Sued by New York for Plastic Pollution

State Attorney General accuses beverage giant of endangering public health and environment with its plastic packaging.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo, accusing the company of creating a public nuisance with its plastic packaging, which is polluting the state's waterways and endangering public health.
The lawsuit alleges that PepsiCo's plastic waste is contaminating the Buffalo River and New York's drinking water, with the Buffalo River found to be teeming with plastic.
According to a 2022 survey, 17% of the plastic waste found in the Buffalo River bore logos of products made by PepsiCo, making it the single largest identifiable contributor to the river's plastic waste.
The lawsuit also claims that PepsiCo has misled the public about the efficacy of plastic recycling and its own efforts to combat plastic pollution, and has failed to meet its own recycling goals.
James is seeking for PepsiCo to take steps to reduce its waste, potentially by using other types of packaging, add warning labels to its products, and pay damages for harm done to the Buffalo River and its residents.