PepsiCo Dodges Environmental Lawsuit Over Plastic Waste

PepsiCo successfully had a lawsuit from New York's attorney general dismissed, which accused the company of polluting the Buffalo River with single-use plastic waste. The judge ruled that responsibility for littering resides with individuals, not the company, and criticized the lawsuit as unsubstantiated.

In a significant legal victory, PepsiCo emerged unscathed from a lawsuit brought by New York's attorney general, Letitia James, accusing the kind of environmental pollution with plastics. A state Supreme Court judge in Buffalo dismissed the case, criticizing the basis of the lawsuit.

The judge, Emilio Colaiacovo, determined that James could not prove that PepsiCo was responsible for creating a public nuisance in the Buffalo area or that the company should have issued warnings about the potential environmental impact of its product packaging.

PepsiCo expressed satisfaction with the court's decision, emphasizing its commitment to reducing plastic waste through serious recycling efforts. This decision coincides with other legal actions against companies using single-use plastics, highlighting ongoing debates over environmental responsibility.

(With inputs from agencies.)