A New York court dismissed a lawsuit accusing PepsiCo of contributing to Buffalo River plastic pollution, but similar cases nationwide remain active.
Joseph Winters reports for Grist.
In short:
- The New York Supreme Court ruled against Attorney General Letitia James’ case, stating PepsiCo cannot be held responsible for consumer disposal of its packaging.
- The judge criticized the case, calling it "predatory" and “policy idealism,” arguing plastic pollution is a legislative issue, not a judicial one.
- Similar lawsuits in California, Baltimore and Los Angeles target major corporations for plastic pollution and misleading recycling claims.
Key quote:
“We wouldn’t have taken the steps of filing a lawsuit if we didn’t believe that the legal argument had merit.”
— Spokesperson for the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Why this matters:
Plastic pollution affects ecosystems, public health and waste systems. With recycling infrastructure unable to handle current waste, legal efforts aim to hold corporations accountable for the environmental and health impacts of single-use plastics.
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