Los Angeles County Sues PepsiCo and Coca-Cola

By Nate Raymond

Los Angeles County has filed a lawsuit against beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, accusing them of polluting the county with single-use plastic bottles and misleading the public about their recyclability.

In the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the county claims the companies contribute significantly to plastic pollution, despite knowing that their bottles cannot be recycled at a scale that mitigates environmental damage. Most of these bottles end up in landfills or littered in the environment.

The county argues that the plastic pollution from the companies constitutes a public nuisance that must be addressed. It demands that Pepsi and Coca-Cola pay penalties for engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices. Lindsey Horvath, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, stated, "Coke and Pepsi need to stop the deception and take responsibility for the plastic pollution problems your products are causing."

As of Thursday, the companies had not responded to requests for comment. They have previously denied making misleading statements and claim to be working towards environmental sustainability.

This lawsuit is a continuation of a series of legal actions taken by various U.S. state and local governments, as well as environmental advocates, against companies involved in plastic production and marketing.

Pepsi is currently contesting a plastic pollution lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general last year. Meanwhile, California's attorney general recently sued Exxon Mobil, a leading producer of the polymers used for single-use plastics. Both attorneys general are Democrats.

In August, an appeals court revived a lawsuit from the Earth Island Institute, which accuses Coca-Cola of misleading consumers about its environmental sustainability practices.

Globally, over 400 million tons of plastic waste is produced annually, with less than 10% recycled, according to the UN Environment Programme, which points to severe landfill overflows and ocean pollution issues.

The current lawsuit highlights that in 2024, plastic made up 246,124 tons of residential waste and 628,211 tons of commercial waste in Los Angeles County.