A San Mateo County judge recently ordered a lawsuit to proceed against 10 major consumer goods companies for their alleged role in plastic pollution in California waters. The companies include such giants as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Nestlé USA.
Thus, Judge V. Raymond Swope of the San Mateo County Superior Court issued the order in late May, thus denying the companies' attempt to dismiss the lawsuit.
Earth Island Institute, a Berkeley-based environmental nonprofit, sued the 10 companies, alleging that they have not accepted their role in plastic pollution, but instead blame consumers for not recycling or littering.
"As Defendants have known for decades, plastic recycling wages a losing battle against the exponential increase in plastic production each year," the lawsuit reads.
It should be noted that the complaint alleges that the companies have not adopted more sustainable alternatives, such as changing materials or redesigning packaging, in order to obtain higher profits.
In addition to The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc. and Nestlé USA, Inc. other companies named in the lawsuit include Crystal Geyser Water Company, The Clorox Company, Mars, Inc, Danone North America, Mondelez International, Inc. Colgate-Palmolive Company and The Procter & Gamble Company.
Representatives of the companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, June 6.
Sumona Majumdar, general counsel for the Earth Island Institute, said the order shows that companies that profit from products packaged in plastic in California can be sued for damages caused by their plastic packaging.
"Corporations like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo cannot be allowed to hide behind their out-of-state status to avoid responsibility for their role in the plastic pollution crisis here in California," Majumdar stressed in a statement.
Most of the companies named are headquartered outside of California.
Earth Island, represented by the law firm Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, filed the lawsuit in February 2020 against the 10 companies.
You may be interested in: Redwood City joins lawsuit against Monsanto Company for contamination
