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The city of Los Angeles has filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, accusing the beverage giants of deceiving consumers about the recyclability of their plastic bottles.
What’s the deal: The lawsuit filed by Los Angeles County claims that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo misled the public by promoting their plastic bottles as recyclable, despite knowing that most of these bottles end up in landfills due to the inherent limitations of plastic recycling. According to the county, these bottles contribute significantly to California’s plastic waste problem, with plastic pollution dominating the state’s terrestrial litter and accounting for the majority of debris found on beaches.
Lawyers for the county argue that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have made deceptive environmental claims, including PepsiCo’s assertion of creating a “circular economy” for plastic and both companies’ pledges to phase out virgin plastic, which it argues have not resulted in meaningful waste reduction.
Digging deeper: In 2021, around 600 billion plastic bottles were made globally, creating 25 million tons of waste—much of which ends up in landfills instead of being recycled. Though California’s recycling rate is relatively high (71% in 2023), critics argue that significant amounts of plastic still go unaccounted for, and many question if recycled materials actually become new bottles.
LA official reacts: In a statement, Los Angeles County Board Chair Lindsey Horvath said, “Los Angeles County is committed to reducing the use of plastic and protecting the environment. Coke and Pepsi need to stop the deception and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problems your products are causing. Los Angeles County will continue to address the serious environmental impacts caused by companies engaging in misleading and unfair business practices.”
