Bay Area-based Earth Island Institute has filed a lawsuit to hold companies like Coke and PepsiCo accountable for contribution to plastic pollution in California. Credit: Bo Eide.

Non-profit environmental organisation Earth Island Institute has filed a lawsuit against ten major food, beverage, and consumer goods companies.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestle are included in the list of companies who have contributed the most to plastic pollution.

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Filed in California state court, the lawsuit includes charges of public nuisance, breach of warranty, and negligence claims among others.

Earth Island general counsel Sumona Majumdar said: “Fundamentally, the lawsuit seeks to hold corporations accountable for their share of plastic pollution and their claims that plastic packaging is recyclable.

“For too long, they have pushed those costs onto the public, and that includes non-profits like Earth Island that are using charitable funds to clean up their mess.”

Majumdar added: “These companies push a product and then create misinformation campaigns so the public isn’t fully aware of the harms of the products when making purchasing decisions.”

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A report from Earth Island supported global movement Break Free from Plastic 2018 revealed that Coke, Pepsi, and Nestle account for 14% of plastic pollution.

Earth Island board of directors president Josh Floum said: “This is the first lawsuit directly to take on these plastic peddlers who for years have spread the fake narrative that their products can be recycled when they know in many cases this is simply not true.”

Nestle pledged to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 and PepsiCo committed to decrease the use of virgin plastic in all of its beverage products packaging by 35% by 2025.

Coca-Cola had also set goals to use 50% recycled PET in its plastic packaging by 2030.