New York State authorities sue PepsiCo for plastic pollution

The prosecutor's office claims that PepsiCo employs single-use plastic in the manufacturing and packaging of at least 85 beverage goods and 25 snack products. The complaint states that around 2,000 pieces of plastic garbage with identifiable company logos were gathered by experts during a study of the Buffalo River's banks last year. Seventeen percent of them had the PepsiCo sign in place. It was noted that Hershey's and McDonald's were two of the other river pollutants.

Furthermore, drinking water samples from Buffalo, a city located on the same name river, revealed the presence of plastic microparticles in the water delivery system. Ingestion of these kinds of particles "can cause significant harm to human health, ranging from reproductive dysfunction to intestinal inflammation and the development of neurotoxic disorders."

The plaintiff demands that the court order PepsiCo to take measures to clean up the area and stop the pollution of the river and its banks. The company will also have to explain to consumers the damage caused by plastic pollution to nature, place appropriate warnings on the plastic packaging of its products, and compensate the residents of the areas in question. The Prosecutor's Office also calls for the company to be fined whatever amount the court deems appropriate.

source: bbc.com