Baltimore filed a lawsuit against major companies like Pepsi, Frito-Lay, and Coca-Cola for the environmental damage they are causing to the city by way of plastic pollution.
What happened?
The Baltimore Sun reported on the lawsuit, in which the city says that these corporations should help foot the bill to clean up the plastic litter they produce and that has infiltrated the city's streets and waters. In addition to taking aim at multinational corporations, the suit also includes several companies that manufacture plastics within Maryland.
The suit is part of a larger effort by the city to take legal action against corporations that it deems responsible for pollution and other problems. So far, it has brought in about $8 million on its environmental claims, according to the Sun.
"When bad corporate actors have harmed our city's land and water, they must be held accountable — and that's what this suit is designed to do," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a statement.
Why is this lawsuit important?
This is part of a broader movement by cities to hold plastic producers accountable for their waste. For instance, New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed suit against Pepsi in November 2023, saying that single-use plastics harm people and the planet.
These claims aren't unwarranted. According to Oceana, the Coca-Cola company increased its use of plastic packaging by more than 6% to around 3.78 million tons in 2022. That same year, PepsiCo increased its plastic packaging by 4% to about 2.87 million tons.
Meanwhile, most of these plastics go unrecycled after use. According to the suit, a recent report found that only about 2.2% of plastic products collected in Baltimore are actually recycled. This is even lower than global estimates of 9%.
Much of the unrecycled plastic ends up in landfills, burned in incinerators, or scattered as litter. As plastics break down over time, they become microplastics. These tiny particles have made their way into our food, water, soil, and air, and can now be found in human livers, kidneys, and placentas. Scientists have raised concerns about the potential health impacts of microplastics, including developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune disorders, along with endocrine-disrupting effects.
Plastic pollution also threatens marine life, as animals may ingest or become entangled in it. Scientists estimate that more than 1 million marine animals die each year because of plastic debris in the ocean.
What's being done about plastic pollution?
In addition to lawsuits like the one in Baltimore, several corporations are trying to break free of plastics. For instance, though Pepsi's single-use plastic production shot up in 2022, the company is also testing reusable packaging to replace traditional plastic bottles. Meanwhile, major beer brands like Coors Light are getting rid of the plastic packaging rings that kill thousands of sea creatures a year.
Plus, scientists have discovered how to break down plastic by using hungry wax worms and fungus.
You can help by cutting your plastic consumption. Some ideas include switching to powdered soap and detergent, investing in reusable shopping bags, and ditching single-use water bottles.
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