NEW YORK, NY – The New York state government filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo on Wednesday in Erie County. The suit alleges that the company’s use of single-use plastic bottles, caps, and wrappers contributes to environmental pollution and poses a threat to public health.
This legal action, lodged in a state court in upstate New York, represents one of the first instances in the United States where a state has directly sued a major plastics producer.
Attorney General Letitia James charged PepsiCo with being a significant source of plastic waste in the Buffalo River area. The lawsuit claims that over 17% of identifiable trash in the region can be traced back to specific brands, with PepsiCo being a notable contributor.
James has not announced any efforts to get residents of her state to stop polluting the local waterways and did not place any blame on the people throwing the trash into the waterways.